Results 3,481-3,500 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Inland Waterways (5 Apr 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I am replying to this matter on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte. I thank Deputy Kyne for raising this very important issue and congratulate him, his family and community on his election to Dáil Éireann. I am advised that the biggest threat to biodiversity in Ireland, after habitat destruction, is that of invasive alien species....

Energy Prices (5 Apr 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, has no statutory function in the setting of energy prices, whether in the regulated or non-regulated sectors. The regulation of the electricity and gas markets is the responsibility of the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, which is an independent statutory...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (5 Apr 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The changes to school transport services were announced in the 2011 Budget by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from a recommendation in the recently published Value for Money Review of the scheme. These changes include the requirement that a minimum of 10 eligible pupils, residing in a distinct locality, will be required to retain or establish a school transport...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (5 Apr 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The changes to school transport services were announced in the 2011 Budget by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from a recommendation in the recently published Value for Money Review of the scheme. The change to the rule, referred to by the Deputy, means that the distance criteria will be applied uniformly and equitably on a national basis. From the 2012/2013 school...

Written Answers — EU Certification Schemes: EU Certification Schemes (30 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Safe Pass is a one day safety awareness training programme for workers in the construction industry, on completion of which each worker is issued with a Safe Pass card that is valid for four years. The Safe Pass card is recognised in the U.K under an agreement on the mutual recognition of registration cards in respect of health and safety awareness training in place between FÁS and the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport schemes on behalf of my Department, has advised that the family referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport to the school in question. The €50 charge, introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil/Green Party government in the 2011 Budget, will apply to all eligible primary pupils availing of school transport services for the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (29 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils are eligible for school transport if they reside 4.8 kilometres or more from and are attending a post primary school within their catchment area. The pupils referred to by the Deputy are not attending a post primary school within their catchment area and are therefore not eligible for school transport to their...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the Employment Programmes and Services and Skills Training (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order which came into force on 1 May 2010, my Department assumed responsibility from the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation for FÁS as an Agency and for its funding and activities relating to training and skills. Following the commencement on...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The changes to school transport relating to school transport provision under the Closed School Rule, were announced in the 2011 budget by the previous Fianna-Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from a recommendation in the recently published Value for Money Review of the scheme. This review was conducted in accordance with criteria for such reviews and included independent expertise. In...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The €50 charge announced by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government in the 2011 budget and which applies to all eligible primary pupils is being introduced to ensure that school transport provided for these pupils is fully utilised in a cost efficient manner. Given that the cost per child of this service is approximately €1,020 per year, it is essential to ensure that the seats...

Education and Training Programmes (24 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Budget 2011 introduced by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government contained an additional 15,500 places on three activation employment initiatives aimed at supporting the unemployed. The first of these initiatives was the work placement programme, which was expanded by 5,500 places in budget 2011. This has now brought the total number of places available to 7,500. Five thousand of...

Education and Training Programmes (24 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I very much empathise with Deputy Smith's wishes to have these programmes continue and be supplemented by other provisions within the programme for Government. In addition to the provisions I have just outlined we have also committed to creating an additional 60,000 places across a range of education and employment programmes for the unemployed. The programme for Government also states that...

Education and Training Programmes (24 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The national employment and entitlements service, which is due to replace FÁS, will be predominantly the responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection. The programme for Government states that the national employment and entitlements service will integrate all employment and benefit support services into a single delivery unit managed by the Department of Social Protection. It will...

Schools Building Projects (23 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the Dáil the Government's strategy for capital investment in school building projects and also to outline the current position on the building project to provide...

Written Answers — Training and Work Experience Programmes: Training and Work Experience Programmes (23 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: A significant number of measures are currently in place to enable registered redundant apprentices to progress in their apprenticeships. Under the apprenticeship programme administered by FÁS, the rules for off-the-job training have been amended to permit redundant apprentices to progress to their next off-the-job training phases. To date in 2011, 714 apprentices registered as redundant...

Written Answers — School Completion Programme: School Completion Programme (22 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: A decision was taken in Budget 2009 to discontinue the Children at Risk Fund. The Project to which the Deputy refers was among a number of projects evaluated by my Department to determine future funding arrangements and possible mainstreaming of appropriate projects. As a result of this evaluation, funding of €133,000 issued to the Project in December 2010 for the 2011 calendar year and...

Written Answers — Local Employment Services: Local Employment Services (22 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The individual to which you refer is a client of the Local Employment Service. I understand that he was to get back in contact with his Local Employment Services Officer in relation to the Sports Management course he is interested in pursuing, but to date he has not done so. I have been informed that he has not as yet made an application for this course and should he wish to do so he should...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (22 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Given the major financial constraints facing the country, it is not my intention at this stage to reverse the changes to school transport as announced in Budget 2011.

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (22 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I have no plans to provide stand-alone status to the educational institution referred to by the Deputy. By way of background, the institution is operated as a Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre by the VEC. Its recognition as a stand-alone PLC centre would require additional financial and staffing resources in terms of teacher allocations and management structure, including Principal,...

Written Answers — Schools Recognition: Schools Recognition (22 Mar 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: This issue is currently the subject of correspondence between the acting CEO of County Cork Vocational Education Committee (VEC), which is responsible for the educational institution referred to by the Deputy, and my Department. By way of background, the institution is operated as a Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre by the VEC. Its recognition as a stand-alone PLC centre would require...