Results 3,481-3,500 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Seanad: Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I reiterate that an additional liability will not accrue to the State as a result of this measure. The State is officially liable for these funds regardless of whether they are transferred. In this legislation, we are dealing with the principle that is at stake. The orders that will be made in due course will deal with the specifics.

Seanad: Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: The purpose of the transfer order provided for in the Bill is to give effect, on the date of effect set out in the order, to the transfer of the assets of a pension fund to the National Pensions Reserve Fund. As the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, said on Second Stage, each of the funds carried out an actuarial valuation of its assets and liabilities at the end of 2008. This has given...

Seanad: Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (25 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: The assets were valued by the trustees at the time. The only thing I can say is that the values are slightly higher at this stage.

Seanad: Family Support Services (25 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: The options paper on domestic partnership prepared by a working group chaired by Ms Anne Colley was published in November 2006. The paper focused on three distinct types of cohabiting relationships: opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples and non-conjugal relationships. The paper examined a range of options to accord legal recognition and effect to each of these types of cohabiting...

Seanad: Family Support Services (25 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Senator for her very considered and reflective contribution to this debate and I will take on board what she has said about being kept informed. I will also check her other query and come back to her on that.

Seanad: Flood Relief (25 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh. I thank the Senator for giving me an opportunity to come into the House to discuss the severe flooding which occurred in the Gweedore Gaeltacht area in County Donegal on 23 June. It is ironic that the flooding took place at a time when most of the rest of the country was basking in...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department has requested Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme, to submit a report on the pupil referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied. A decision on the pupil's eligibility for school transport will be made on receipt of this report.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects. (24 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, who unfortunately cannot be present. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position in regard to Rathcormac...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme (24 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank the Senator for raising this issue as it provides me with an opportunity to re-affirm the Government's commitment to developing community based services at a local level. Government policy in regard to older people is to support people to live in dignity and independence in their...

Seanad: Hospitals Building Programme (24 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will ensure that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and the HSE are made aware of the Senator's contribution.

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (24 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. As the House is aware, the Government has a long-standing policy of facilitating the valid home ownership aspirations of as many households as possible. For many years now, mortgage lending by local authorities, backed by loan finance obtained by the...

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (24 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Senator's contribution is very helpful. I am aware that the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, in particular, is very innovative in the way he looks at all these issues. He has taken up his post with an open mind on how to improve matters, particularly the first point made by the Senator about an information campaign. I am sure something could be done in that regard, but obviously...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (23 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department's expenditure on school transport for 2008 was €185.725 million. The revised allocation for 2009 is €192 million.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (23 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I wish to advise the Deputy that the planning and organising of school bus routes is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. School bus routes are planned in such a way as to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable level of service while at the same time, ensuring that school transport vehicles are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner. In...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (23 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: The school transport system is arranged on the basis of return journeys to and from school and arrangements are put in place to ensure each pupil travelling on a school transport service is allocated an individual seat. This level of service is necessary to ensure each pupil has a comfortable and safe journey to and from school. The school transport scheme, which is operated by Bus Éireann...

Written Answers — Alternative Centres of Education: Alternative Centres of Education (23 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department has provided funding for a number of years to the projects referred to by the Deputy towards programme costs, under the Fund for the Development of Targeted Educational Responses to Certain Children at Risk. These projects have also been supported by my Department through an annual allocation of teaching hours under the Co-Operation with Other Institutions Scheme. These...

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (23 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: In May this year I announced plans to expand the remit of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) with effect from the 1st September 2009, to include responsibility for the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL), the School Completion Programme (SCP) and the Visiting Teacher Service (VTS) for Traveller pupils as well as the National Educational Welfare Service. The expanded remit will...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: In January 2009, I announced the establishment of the Steering Committee for the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, including catchment boundaries. The review is being carried out as part of the 2009-2011 round of Value for Money Reviews approved by Government. The Steering Committee is looking at the original objectives of the scheme, whether these objectives remain...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (18 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more from, and are attending, their nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. However, pupils not attending their nearest national school may avail of concessionary fare-paying transport to another school, provided: (a) the...

Written Answers — Home-School Liaison Scheme: Home-School Liaison Scheme (18 Jun 2009)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 and 211 together. The school to which the Deputy refers is at present included in a rural cluster of primary schools. However, the school was also in receipt of a grant in lieu of Home School Community Liaison services under a previous disadvantage scheme. Under this arrangement the school combined resource hours with the unclusterable grant to provide a...