Results 3,501-3,520 of 9,820 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: On behalf of Fianna Fáil, I want to say that we can see a strong case to be made for having religion at the end of the school day. There is a strong case for that. It happens already, as alluded to by Deputy Shortall, in multidenominational schools where religious instruction is provided, in some cases to the majority of pupils, depending on the parents' wishes, and it seems to happen...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (30 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school place will be provided for a child (details supplied) in September 2018. [23891/18]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport Programme Funding (30 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 207. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the once-off community grant of Louth-Meath Fingal LocalLink. [23859/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Insurance (30 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 211. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there is recourse in respect of a person that has a small number of PRSI stamps paid by their employer for the duration of their working life. [23814/18]

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: I am surprised that Sinn Féin of all parties cannot support the preference, if oversubscribed, for Church of Ireland or other minority faith schools. Where are these schools? There are 22 Church of Ireland schools in Donegal, eight in Cavan and five in Monaghan. There are only two Presbyterian schools in Dublin, while there are nine in Donegal and three in Monaghan. If we are looking...

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: This whole group of amendments is really the crux of the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 and it is where the pressure has been coming on legislators to act. There is a difficulty. I acknowledge that and always have. I have come across constituents who have been refused admission to schools because they were not baptised Catholic. I saw one particularly egregious example where...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: As the Minister says, it seems that on the capitation issue, what I said was correct, that they do not receive it at second level. Presumably, it would really help in the provision of ASD and special classes at second level if capitation was provided.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: They are concerned with the religion question. Is that right?

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: We will re-examine this amendment before the Bill goes to the Seanad to see whether we can do anything. Would it be possible to publish the initial notice under what the Minister is proposing or could an amendment be tabled in the Seanad to that effect? Such a notice could put significant pressure on people and short-circuit the process because schools would not want to be named and shamed...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: We welcome the spirit of this amendment and will support it. I stated on Second Stage that we would require such a provision in this Bill in order to support it. I am not going to be churlish; I welcome it. It is exceedingly complicated, however, and that is a worry because it seems the amendment seeks very carefully to protect the interests of the national council, the Minister, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Joint Committee (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: I remind members to turn their mobile phones off when attending meetings. The Chair is in the Dáil and has asked me to commence the meeting on her behalf. The committee is due to hear from Dr. Richard Thorn, chairman designate of the National College of Art and Design, NCAD. I have been informed that Dr. Thorn needs to leave in sufficient time to allow him to attend another...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: National College of Art and Design: Chairperson Designate (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: I welcome Dr. Richard Thorn, chairman designate of the governing body of the NCAD. The purpose of this part of the meeting is to engage with him about his experience and background, his vision and priorities in the short to medium term, and about any challenges facing the organisation. I invite him to make a brief opening statement, as brief as possible, which will be followed by an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: National College of Art and Design: Chairperson Designate (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: I thank Dr. Thorn. Have the members any questions?

Written Answers — Department of Health: Speech and Language Therapy Staff (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 79. To ask the Minister for Health the number of speech and language therapists and occupational therapists that have been recruited by the HSE in 2018; the sectors of the health service to which they have been deployed; and the net increase in the whole time equivalent numbers of each that has resulted from this recruitment. [23563/18]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Union Services (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 152. To ask the Minister for Finance the criteria for credit unions to deliver a debit card facility to their members. [23103/18]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Union Services (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 153. To ask the Minister for Finance if a credit union with an asset base of €50 million is permitted to provide a debit card facility to its members. [23104/18]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations Commission (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 228. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address a matter (details supplied) relating to the employment of superintendents by the State Examination Commission for leaving certificate and junior certificate exam centres. [23134/18]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 246. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of one to one therapy that will be provided under the speech and language and occupational therapies pilot or demonstration project; if each child who requires therapy will receive it; and if this is an alternative to the HSE waiting list [23366/18]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (29 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: 503. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if fibre optic broadband will be extended in an area (details supplied). [23315/18]

Topical Issue Debates: Local Authority Funding (24 May 2018)

Thomas Byrne: I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter. It is one on which the Minister of State, Deputy English, has been pressed locally and voiced his support. I thank my colleague, Deputy Shane Cassells, who has raised the matter regularly at the Committee of Public Accounts. The fact that Deputy Cassells has raised the matter at the PAC has put the whole subject into the...