Results 361-380 of 3,895 for speaker:John Halligan

Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Law Provisions Bill 2018: From the Seanad (19 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: To answer the Deputy's first question, the 5% is standard. We have checked this across Europe and so on. To answer her second question, this is just the replacing of words. Inadvertently some words were placed in the Bill. We received legal advice on this to the effect that these words needed to be replaced to bring substance to what that particular section of the Bill is about. That...

Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Law Provisions Bill 2018: From the Seanad (19 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: These amendments were accepted in the Seanad recently. I thank Deputies for their previous engagement on this important Bill. I hope we can conclude its passage through the Oireachtas today. While the Bill was progressing through the Oireachtas, my Department received representations from stakeholders regarding certain issues they had identified with it, as drafted. As a result, most of...

Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Law Provisions Bill 2018: From the Seanad (19 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: I thank the Deputy for his comments on innovation. I acknowledge that we have not reached the 2.5% target but that is true of many countries across Europe. The innovation barometer is taken as part of our GDP so the current figure of 1.45% is probably inaccurate. The Department believes that it is probably higher than that at 1.6% or 1.7%. On amendment No. 1, the Deputy will be aware...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Appeals (19 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 to 131, inclusive, together. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering...

Other Questions: Passport Services (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: Some extra staff and resources have been given to the Cork region. The passport service received sanction this year for 236 temporary clerical officers to be appointed to the passport offices in Dublin and Cork in accordance with the requirements of each office. Of these temporary clerical officers, 30 were sanctioned for the Cork passport office. In addition, 13 clerical officers have...

Other Questions: Passport Services (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: There was an assessment of the requirements of the offices in Dublin and Cork. The office in Cork required 43 more staff, 30 temporary officers and 13 clerical officers, and it received them. Each passport printer has a capacity of approximately 250 passports per hour. The printing requirements of the office in Cork are met, according to the office in Cork, by the machines in Balbriggan...

Other Questions: Passport Services (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: We have been assured by the passport offices in Mount Street, Dublin, and South Mall, Cork, that they can facilitate the issuing of emergency travel documents where there is an urgent need to travel, particularly for medical reasons or due to a bereavement abroad where the strict criteria for the issuing of such documents have been met. To repeat, we are basing the answers to these questions...

Other Questions: Northern Ireland (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: A couple of issues arise with regard to the Northern Ireland Commission for Victims and Survivors and the Stormont House Agreement legacy bodies. The Deputy referred to the Ballymurphy case and if I have time, I will return to that. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, have received...

Other Questions: Northern Ireland (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: I am not in a position to say who should or should not apologise while ongoing negotiations are taking place between the two Governments. Deputy Crowe will be aware that advice has been received from the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors on the Stormont House Agreement legacy bodies. Talks are ongoing on all legacy issues, including the Ballymurphy, Kingsmill, Ludlow, McAnespie and...

Other Questions: Passport Services (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 47 together. The Passport Service, located in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is one unified service composed of three constituent offices located in Lower Mount Street, Dublin, Balbriggan, County Dublin, and South Mall, Cork. The Passport Service operates three passport printing machines, two of which are located in the main...

Other Questions: Israeli Settlements (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: I am aware of the Deputy's long-held views on and support of the Palestinian cause. The structures to which the Deputy refers were among seven donor-funded humanitarian structures confiscated by the Israeli authorities in October 2018 from two vulnerable Palestinian communities located in area C of the occupied West Bank. The structures were co-funded by the EU and the West Bank Protection...

Other Questions: Israeli Settlements (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: The Deputy is correct that the primary concern is with the demolition and confiscation and the hardship and injustice that have been caused to Palestinian families. He is aware that I have visited the West Bank and seen the conditions in which many Palestinians are living. On the main issue of the Israelis' attitude towards the West Bank and the settlements, I am aware that the...

Other Questions: Israeli Settlements (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: Ireland provides development and humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the most vulnerable Palestinian men, women and children. This aid amounted to €15 million in 2018. The funding addressed both humanitarian and development needs, providing emergency assistance to the most vulnerable while also supporting the Palestinian Authority in the public service delivery and civil...

Other Questions: Northern Ireland (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: The Government is aware of the Time for Truth march that took place in Belfast on 9 June and was attended by a range of victims' families and groups. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade were present at the event on the day, and the Government maintains ongoing contact with many of the victims’ families who participated, in support of their efforts to secure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Data (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together. The National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas caters for construction plant training and was established by FÁS in 2008. Following the establishment of SOLAS as the agency for further education and training in 2013, responsibility for former FÁS training centres was transferred to the Education and Training Boards....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (18 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (13 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually. The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (12 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.  The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses Fees (12 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: The only centrally determined payment for the Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programme is the €200 PLC participant contribution. This amount is not payable by persons with a medical card, as well as a number of other categories, which means that approximately 60% of PLC participants do not pay the contribution. The estimated cost to reduce the PLC participant...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Refurbishment (11 Jun 2019)

John Halligan: On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McHugh, I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue, which gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the Department's plans for upgrading older schools. As he is aware, the Department will be investing €8.4 billion in school buildings over the lifetime of Project Ireland 2040. The latter will give rise to a 70% increase in the...