Results 5,061-5,080 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

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

Damien English: The provision is not there to save on pay. We have increased the number of teachers and have committed to continuing that in the years ahead and are trying to match the demographics. We must have some organised system to facilitate redeployment and other issues. The system is based on 30 September, but there is a provision in respect of where there is rapid development in an area. That is...

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

Damien English: I will just finish.If something needs to be changed, they are willing to do it. They get it right on this issue most of the time.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fisheries Protection (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senator Norris for raising this Commencement Matter which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, who sends his apologies for not being here but he is currently touring the islands.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fisheries Protection (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I will ensure he gets a transcript of it. The management of wild salmon in Ireland falls within the remit statutory remit of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and its State agency, Inland Fisheries Ireland. Salmon is of great economic importance to Ireland as a commercially caught species but more particularly for recreational and tourism angling. The...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fisheries Protection (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: While there is a list of them, rather than going through the entire list, I stated that 26 tributaries of the Munster Blackwater were recorded with a Q-value of 4 or higher in the most recent assessment of the sites. They are all detailed for the Senator in the response. As for the main channel of the Blackwater, all sites were described as satisfactory throughout, with high and good...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fisheries Protection (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I certainly will and I will investigate this personally as a contribution. I also will feed back the other issues raised by the Senator to the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, and will ascertain whether I can feed them into the system as well. My final point is the Senator raised the issue of trees and I recall that when I was planting trees at my own house, my good friend, Mr. Bill...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fisheries Protection (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I will get that for the Senator.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fisheries Protection (10 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I would be happy to suggest that. I am sure the Minister, Deputy McHugh, would be happy to organise it because it certainly would make sense. It is about sharing information. I am conscious the Senator cited a document from 1993, whereas the research cited here probably is quite up to date. However, I am sure the two can be combined to make sure the best information is gained.

Other Questions: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2015)

Damien English: What does the Deputy want?

Other Questions: School Accommodation (9 Dec 2015)

Damien English: It is called a recovery. There are more jobs and money about.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Childhood Obesity (9 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The health promoting schools, HPS, initiative is a Europe-wide programme aimed to strengthen a school’s capacity to be a healthy setting for learning and working by focusing on whole-school level and all the conditions that affect health and well-being. As part of the HPS initiative, health promotion officers and members of the well-being pillar of professional health and service for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Childhood Obesity (9 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The manner in which the challenge was taken in this case is a matter for the schools involved. We would like to commend the school on prioritising the health of its students in deciding on school policy in this matter. Schools and the wider education sector have a vital role to play in contributing to the Government's Healthy Ireland agenda set out in the framework for improved health and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Childhood Obesity (9 Dec 2015)

Damien English: On vending machines and healthy eating, the Department issued guidance for post-primary schools about measures to promote healthy lifestyles. The guidance was drafted in consultation with the Department of Health and the HSE. It encompasses measures to promote healthy eating, healthy vending, PE and physical activity. We have to allow each school, along with parents and pupils, to come up...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Fees (8 Dec 2015)

Damien English: An Annual Student Contribution is levied on students attending Institutes of Technology. This contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS ceased making this payment and the apprentices pay the Annual Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (8 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme, has been requested to establish a service for this child and it is expected that the service will commence this week. The family should liaise with their local...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Data (3 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware that school transport is a very significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on the Department's behalf. In the region of 112,500 children, including almost 10,000 children with special educational needs, are transported to school on a daily basis throughout the country. The latest information sought by the Deputy in relation to pupil numbers, vehicles and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (3 Dec 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 242 together. The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Changes to my Department's School Transport Scheme were announced on the 7 December 2010, as part of measures announced in Budget 2011, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (3 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability. Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs children are eligible for transport...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Training Fund (2 Dec 2015)

Damien English: The National Training Fund (NTF) was established in 2000 to raise the skills of those in employment and to provide training to those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment. It is also used to provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy. NTF income includes National Training Levy receipts, European Social Fund refunds and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (2 Dec 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. I understand that there are a number of children who wish to avail of transport to the school in question...