Results 5,041-5,060 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Data (16 Dec 2015)

Damien English: SOLAS was established in October 2013. The operation of SOLAS Training Centres was transferred to the Education and Training Boards under two phases in January and July 2014. Since the transfer, training centre staff are now employees of the Education and Training Boards. The most recent statistics available are for quarter two 2015. These statistics show there were 295.78 whole time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Globalisation Fund (15 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508, 530, 531 and 546 to 550, inclusive, together. The Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) EGF programme application and related material is available on the dedicated EGF website www.egf.ie. The PWA International application, which is currently awaiting approval by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, will be published...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (15 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I wish to advise the Deputy that Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. At that point, the Department of Health/Health Service Executive assumes direct responsibility for young adults with special educational needs who are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (15 Dec 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has confirmed that from a safety perspective there is not a suitable turning point at the school in question. Bus Éireann has advised that some of the school transport services pass the school each morning and depending on the direction that the bus is coming from, children are set down at their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (15 Dec 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann, which operates the Post Primary School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that payment details for this family were not submitted until three weeks after the closing date of 31st July; at this stage all tickets had been allocated and the service is now operating to capacity. Should there be any change in the current position Bus Éireann will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Fees (15 Dec 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that there are a number of concessionary, fare paying, places still available on a service which operates to the school in question. The families referred to by the Deputy should contact Bus Éireann in Athlone, phone 090 6473277, if they wish to avail of school transport on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (15 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 and 552 together. Bus Éireann has confirmed to my Department that they do not make a profit on school transport and my Department accepts this confirmation. As the reply of 18 September 2013 indicated, in completing its work on this report, Farrell Grant Sparks (FGS) entered into a signed confidentiality agreement with Bus Éireann having...

Topical Issue Debate: Penalty Points System (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy has many facts and statistics himself, which are very useful, and I do not have the same information as he does. I know he is concentrating on the subject and rightly so. The Department shares some of the Deputy's aims and it is trying to improve the information flow between it and the RSA. It is probably a matter of applying more urgency to this. The Deputy is correct that the...

Topical Issue Debate: Penalty Points System (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this issue. When I saw his name, I hoped his questions had been answered. I will track the information for him. There was a commitment to get the information for him and I will track that as best I can. As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, is in Brussels at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council today. He sends his...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Alleviation (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: Yes. The annual maintenance programme typically involves some clearance of vegetation and the removal of silt over a five-year cycle. Approximately 730 km of channels are maintained in the west and north-west regions annually. The schemes in the west region include the Moy scheme, the Boyle and Bonet schemes, the Corrib group schemes and the Maam flood relief scheme. I understand Deputy...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Alleviation (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I agree. As usual, Deputy Fitzmaurice talks a considerable amount of sense. There is an issue with regard to good samaritan legislation and allowing people to do certain work when they are genuinely trying to do the right thing. It should give them a little protection. That is in place and it is designed to help people to do as outlined. There is always a fear, especially when it comes...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Alleviation (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice for his comments. As usual, he speaks common sense. His contribution reminds me of a conversation I had in my first year in the Dáil with the former Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Mr. Tom Parlon. I asked him to get the dredging machines working and he responded positively to that suggestion. That is the type of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senator Healy Eames for raising this issue. I am aware she tried to raise the matter last week and am glad we are able to facilitate her this week. The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to schools is published annually on the Department's website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: When the principals submit the figures for 30 September, if they can show they have projected increased development beyond that, they can -----

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: In addition, the staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent appeals board. The staffing appeals process was extended in the 2014-15 school year to allow schools that are not gaining an additional teaching post under the developing schools criterion to submit an appeal to the primary staffing appeals board. This...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The Department has a duty to refer to redeployment.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The details are on the Department's website, but I will get them for the Senator. The idea behind the provision for rapidly developing schools is that numbers could change significantly from 30 September and to allow for an appointment to be made the following September.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: It is based on enrolment. The Senator says she is not concerned about redeployment, but the Department is and we are concerned with remaining within budget. We have a duty to spend our budget as best we can to get as many teachers as we possibly can in order to reduce class sizes. We must do that in a co-ordinated manner and that is why redeployment is important to us. It might not bother...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I understand the Senator's point, but we must try to manage our budget and must have some system for that. The Senator wants to change the system to have immediate effect.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teacher Recruitment (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: It is not trying to save money.