Results 3,581-3,600 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Schools Building Projects. (9 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank Deputy Costello for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and to outline the current position on the future plans for Gaelscoil Bharra, Cabra....

Schools Building Projects. (9 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: The further progression of the acquisition of this site and the accompanying building project will be considered in the context of the capital budget that is available to the Department for school buildings in general. I thank the Deputy again for giving me an opportunity to outline to the House the current position in respect of the future plans for Gaelscoil Bharra in Cabra. I will...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (9 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I take it that the Deputy is seeking copies of each catchment area map in the country. By way of general background information, catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post primary education in the late 1960's. For planning purposes, the country was divided into about 300 geographic districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post primary...

Hospital Services. (9 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will be taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I welcome the opportunity to set out the current position to the House regarding the restructuring of cancer services, with particular reference to Sligo General Hospital. Although Ireland's cancer survival rates have been increasing faster than most other countries,...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: My Department has been advised by the Transport Liaison Officer for County Mayo that the family referred to by the Deputy in the details pay an annual total of €402 for two children. The two pupils can then avail of the dedicated school transport service which operates on a standard timetable, morning and afternoon to and from the school in question. It would not be economically viable...

Seanad: Scéim na mBóithre Áise (8 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív. I thank the Seanadóir for raising this matter. In 2008, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs sanctioned a programme of works to the value of €283,181 for Donegal County Council. The county council informed the Department that...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (8 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and also to outline the current position regarding Seamount College, Kinvara, County Galway....

Seanad: Hospital Services (8 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I welcome the opportunity to set out the current position on the restructuring of cancer services, and in particular the transfer of cancer services from South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital to Cork University Hospital. Senators may recall that the issue of the transfer of cancer services from SIVUH was discussed in the Seanad last October. In that debate, Deputy John Moloney...

Seanad: Hospital Services (8 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will bring the Senator's comments to the attention of the Minister for Health and Children.

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (7 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) provides full-time second-chance education and training opportunities for unemployed adults who are over the age of 21 and in receipt of specified social welfare payments for at least six months. VTOS is funded by my Department and operated through the 33 Vocational Education Committees (VECs). Its primary target groups are the longer-term...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: The case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied relates to catchment boundary transport. Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme, pupils who are eligible for transport to the education centre in the catchment area in which they reside may avail of 'catchment boundary' transport to a post-primary centre in another catchment area provided spare seats...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (7 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) the action plan for educational inclusion, provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated School Support Programme (SSP). DEIS brings together and builds upon a number of existing interventions in schools with concentrated levels of disadvantage. The process of identifying schools for...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (2 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I wish to advise the Deputy that charges will continue to be waived in the case of eligible post-primary children where the family is in possession of a valid medical card. In addition, and in order to minimise the impact of the new charges, a maximum family payment of €650 will apply and, parents will be offered the option to spread the amount due over two payments payable in July and...

School Transport. (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I welcome this opportunity to outline to the House the Department's position regarding school transport for the children who attend scoil náisiúnta An Trianlair, County Mayo. One of the main objectives of the school transport scheme is to provide a basic level of service for children who live long distances from schools and who might otherwise experience difficulty in attending regularly....

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I would like to advise the Deputy that negotiations with school bus operators regarding school bus contracts are a matter between Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department, and the operators. There are currently over 1,400 operators, including taxi operators, providing services and the daily rates depend on the size of vehicle and mileage involved...

Written Answers — Post-Leaving Certificate Courses: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme provides an integrated general education, vocational training and work experience programme for young people who have completed their Leaving Certificate and adults returning to education. Its purpose is to enhance their prospects of gaining employment or progressing to further or higher education. In relation to the issue raised in the letter...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: The post primary school to which the Deputy refers was among a number of schools that was judged by an independent identification process in 2005 not to have a sufficient level of disadvantage among their pupils to warrant their inclusion in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. The next identification process is scheduled to be...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: I propose to take questions 180 and 181 together. The Steering Committee to oversee the Value for Money Review of the School Transport Scheme, including catchment boundaries, has been established. The aim is to complete the review by the end of 2009. The Steering Committee is looking at the original objectives of the scheme, whether these objectives remain valid today, the extent to which...

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: As a leading knowledge economy, Ireland has a significant demand for the key skills of engineering, mathematics and information technology. In the competitive labour market over recent years supply side constraints and strong demand did create some difficulty at times for individual companies in recruiting suitable personnel. The recent expert group on future skills need report — Future...

Skill Shortages. (1 Apr 2009)

Seán Haughey: The problem was identified over the past number of years and that is the reason we commissioned the expert group on future skills needs to examine the area. The group came forward with a report on future requirements for high-level skills in the ICT sector. Currently we have an upskilling co-ordination group and an interdepartmental committee, which I chair, working to bring about...