Results 3,681-3,700 of 4,869 for speaker:Seán Haughey

Written Answers — Educational Disadvantage: Educational Disadvantage (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: Following the introduction of DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunities in Schools), a commitment was given, as a concessionary measure, to Non DEIS schools in receipt of resources under pre-existing schemes, including the Rural Coordinator service, that they would retain a level of support in line with their size and disadvantage levels for the duration of the DEIS Initiative....

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: Youthreach provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. It is provided in an out of school setting and centres operate for 226 days per year. There are around 6,500 places available nationally under the Youthreach umbrella. 3,700 of these are funded by my...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Deputy's question relates to the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) programme in the college to which the Deputy refers. There are 5,000 places on VTOS nationwide, funded by my Department and operated by Vocational Education Committees (VECs). The funding allocated by my Department to VECs for the VTOS programme is for the pay of teaching staff, participant allowances and...

Adult Literacy. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The target set is for achievement by the year 2016 and progress will have to be judged in that time frame. The Government's commitment to achieving the target is evident from the increased investment in this area. Annual funding for adult literacy has increased from €1 million in 1997 to over €30 million in 2008. In the same period the annual number of participants has increased from...

Adult Literacy. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: I would like to think we have made significant progress in this area.

Adult Literacy. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: Deputy Burke spoke about funding. As I said earlier, funding in this area has increased from €1 million in 1997 to more than €30 million in 2008. The number of places has also increased significantly since 1997. I accept that we need new data. We are participating in the OECD survey to establish new data in this area. It should be pointed out that the survey that established that...

Adult Literacy. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The Deputy will be aware that I administer a number of adult and further education schemes, including Youthreach, the back to education initiative and the adult literacy schemes. This country's serious and difficult financial position has meant that I have had to reduce the number of places being offered on some schemes, unfortunately, including Traveller training schemes and the back to...

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: I am aware of the stipulation that has been imposed on the college referred to in the question. The Deputy will be aware that the national reduction in apprentice recruitment has necessitated a reduction in the current level of training provision. The problem is particularly acute in the construction trades, which have suffered a reduction in recruitment of almost 70% in the past two years....

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: As I said earlier, we have to examine the overall context in the first instance. A cap has been imposed on the number of places in the post-leaving certificate sector as a result of the current financial position and in line with the increase in the pupil-teacher ratio. I accept that the Deputy has made a constructive proposal. Officials in the Department of Education and Science have met...

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: There are seven phases involved in the training of apprentices.

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The fourth and sixth phases are provided for in the education sector. The Tánaiste has made a number of announcements because of the difficult situation facing apprentices due to the current unemployment situation. The overall point made by the Deputy is being given serious consideration at this stage, which is the need for employment activation. My role is to co-ordinate education and...

Disadvantaged Status. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The schools to which the Deputy refers are among those that were 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, the action plan for educational inclusion. The next identification process is scheduled to be held at the end of the current DEIS programme, which runs from 2005 to 2010....

Disadvantaged Status. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: I appreciate that the Deputy is making a particular case for schools in his constituency, but also raising general issues. Not every school in the country should be classified as disadvantaged. These particular resources were given on a concessionary basis. All the evidence shows that we need to focus our resources to combat disadvantage. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on...

Disadvantaged Status. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: I must re-iterate that these resources remained in place on a concessionary basis. There are other things happening in the Department, such as home school community liaisons, the schools completion programme, the national education welfare board and so on. These and other developments in the Department can deal with the problems to which the Deputy referred.

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: Over the past number of years the Government has prioritised a major expansion of opportunities in adult and further education. Between 2002 and 2008, expenditure on these areas increased by 60%, from €256 million to €414 million. In terms of extending opportunity, this increased expenditure meant that, in 2008, over 49,000 places were provided in further education courses compared to...

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: I will take the last part of Deputy Quinn's question on the 51,000 additional FÁS places first. These additional places are being provided by FÁS from within existing resources. In delivering these places FÁS will, in addition to its own delivery of courses, contract with other bodies for provision of relevant courses. It would be open to VECs and institutes of technology to bid for the...

Adult Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: We have identified spare capacity, particularly in the institutes of technology. We are also looking at ways that further education schemes can be expanded. The Deputy makes a good point in that there must be greater co-operation and co-ordination on education and training even though they are split between two Departments. As Minister of State in both Departments, my aim is to secure that...

Nursing Education. (26 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. By way of background I should explain that, following the publication of the 2009 Estimates for public services, the Health Service Executive was tasked to deliver economy savings of €115 million. Among many other issues, a...

Written Answers — Post-Leaving Certificate Courses: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (25 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The number of approved PLC places is set at its current level of 30,188 because there is a continuing requirement to plan and control numbers and to manage expenditure within the context of overall educational policy and provision. Due to the difficult budgetary position it is not possible to increase the number of places. Any possible future increase would have to take account of the...

Written Answers — Post-Leaving Certificate Courses: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (25 Feb 2009)

Seán Haughey: The number of places available under the Post Leaving Certificate programme currently stands at 30,188. For the current academic year 2008/2009, 28,066 of these places were allocated to Vocational Education Committees (VECs). Further distribution of those places internally is a matter for each individual VEC. The balance of places were allocated to a number of secondary and community and...