Results 4,981-5,000 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann has advised that the level of detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. In this regard I have asked Bus Éireann to forward the information directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware that Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. Bus Éireann has advised that the set down point in question is the only suitable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann has advised that in 2014 four hundred and twenty four part-time School Bus Drivers were employed. The hourly rates of pay for Bus Éireann Part-time School Bus Drivers, applicable from July 2008, were as follows: New Entrants €13.13 per hour After 1 Year €13.66 per hour After 4 Years €14.19 per hour After 6 or more Years €14.71 per hour...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann is subject to two systems of audit inspection, both of which are independent of Bus Éireann. In addition to the independent audit inspection undertaken by Pricewaterhousecoopers that the Deputy alluded to, CIE Group Internal Audit also conduct regular audits on Bus Éireann offices. The Company also has an Audit Review Group in place, which includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann has advised that each school bus contractor, as an individually licensed Road Passenger Transport Operator in their own right, is responsible for the maintenance of their own vehicles and the maintenance systems that they put in place to ensure their vehicles comply in all respects with all applicable laws, including the Road Traffic Acts, the Safety, Health and Welfare at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: The purpose of my Department's School Transport Schemes is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann has advised that the level of detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. In this regard I have asked Bus Éireann to forward the information directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (6 Apr 2016)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 715 to 718, inclusive, together. The information referred to by the Deputy is an internal working document in which my officials attempted to estimate expenditure on the LTAI EGF Programme. Being tentative in nature, this estimate is not sufficiently robust for use as a final estimated expenditure figure. As I noted in my reply, it is difficult to accurately...

Housing and Homelessness: Statements (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: I am grateful for the opportunity to say a few words in the debate. I did not get a chance to listen to all speakers, but in terms of process, the idea today was to have statements and put forth everyone's ideas as a contribution to the debate. The Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, has been working hard in this area for the past couple of years and has managed, with the help of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: The accounting rules governing Bus Éireann's operation of the Scheme are laid down in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. These Arrangements require Bus Éireann to charge my Department for all direct costs- contractors, fuel, maintenance etc. In line with the Accounting Arrangements, a charge of 13% of certain direct costs is levied to cover all other costs associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: The accounting rules governing Bus Éireann's operation of the School Transport Scheme are laid down in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. These Arrangements require Bus Éireann to charge my Department for all direct costs - contractors, fuel, maintenance etc. In line with the Accounting Arrangements, a charge of 13% of certain direct costs is levied to cover all other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann has advised that maintenance costs are influenced by a number of factors including the age profile of the fleet, the annual kilometres operated, the technical specification of the vehicle and the safety standards required by legislation and the additional safety measures demanded by the company. Safety is Bus Éireann's highest priority and this is reflected in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: The accounting rules governing Bus Éireann's operation of the School Transport Scheme are laid down in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. These Arrangements require Bus Éireann to charge my Department for all direct costs - contractors, fuel, maintenance etc. In line with the Accounting Arrangements, a charge of 13% of certain direct costs is levied to cover all other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement. The basic principle of public procurement is that there should be a competitive process and this approach applies to procurement by all public sector bodies, and includes school transport...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Data (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: Reports are generated from time to time by Bus Éireann as and when required by the Department for the ongoing efficient management of the School Transport Scheme. These reports may relate to various aspects of the administration and/or operation of services provided under the Scheme. Reports are not always available in the format requested because it is not always necessary to record...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (22 Mar 2016)

Damien English: Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement. This includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme, which Bus Éireann operates on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. Bus Éireann is satisfied that the tendering process is a competitive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Globalisation Fund (3 Feb 2016)

Damien English: I am aware of recent media reports regarding the appointment of a provisional liquidator to Xtra-vision, which employs over 550 staff This follows an earlier statutory collective redundancy notification submitted by the company to my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in November 2015, which related to approximately 161 proposed redundancies, the majority of which...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Feb 2016)

Damien English: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am sorry for keeping her waiting. I could not make it here before 2.45 p.m. I thought I was due to respond to the third Commencement matter. I apologise for the problems that were caused. As the Senator is aware, officials from my Department have been working closely with officials from South Dublin County Council to secure a suitable site to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (2 Feb 2016)

Damien English: An official in the Department of Education and Skills will work with council officials. That person cannot instruct them on what to do or demand that they do something. Rather, that official can work with them and ask them to proceed as quickly as possible. I ask the Senator to use her good offices and those of her council colleagues to try to put any pressure that is needed on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (2 Feb 2016)

Damien English: I am advised by Bus Éireann that the Freight Transport Association (FTA) provides independent vehicle and maintenance system audits on contractors' vehicles as well as on Bus Éireann's own fleet. This is independent and separate from any other engagement of the FTA by bus and coach operators, or indeed any other similar industry experts. Any initiative taken by bus operators...