Results 5,081-5,100 of 9,820 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Priority Questions: School Curriculum (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: This relates to the short coding courses at primary and secondary levels. What is the Minister's vision for putting coding on the school curriculum? It has become a buzzword in some circles. What does the Minister mean by it, what impact will it have on the curriculum and what will children actually learn?

Priority Questions: School Curriculum (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: There does not seem to be a vision for this. Computer science will be rolled out at leaving certificate level in approximately three years' time, but the short courses at junior certificate level are almost non-existent. Twenty-two schools will run them next year. To my knowledge, they will not be ASTI schools, given the industrial action. For this reason and because the Department will...

Priority Questions: School Curriculum (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: The difficulty, not just with the educational agenda, but also with the skills agenda, is that each country appears to be pulling down the shutters. Consider Brexit and Trump. Everyone is looking after himself or herself and we are falling behind. The situation requires urgency and I encourage the Minister strongly. We should not interfere in the NCCA process, which must be non-political,...

Priority Questions: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 27. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme; if he will put in place the measures suggested by the ESRI review of the programme, namely to taper funding and enhance supports for urban DEIS schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2011/17]

Priority Questions: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: The question relates to the DEIS programme. The issue with the programme is that it has not really been expanded at all since it was established by the Fianna Fáil Government in 2006, with no new schools admitted to it since 2009. The Minister has been telling us there is a review of the programme under way. We had expected an announcement before Christmas on the programme's...

Priority Questions: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: I welcome the Minister's commitment to putting a new or expanded scheme in place in September but all the while he is perpetuating socio-economic gaps in educational outcomes by maintaining the cap. In recent years, there have been schools that simply could not participate in the programme. Students are losing out as a consequence. It is a deliberate policy. How long does it take to put a...

Priority Questions: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: I said that.

Priority Questions: Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: Can the Minister outline to the House the number of schools the funding is expected to cover? Can he guarantee that schools that have the resources at present will not lose them as part of the review?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: The Deputy certainly looked after Wexford.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 41. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the disparity between primary and secondary level education in the number of school places for children with autism; and the measures his Department is taking to improve access to appropriate places in mainstream secondary schools for children with autism. [1896/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Educational Psychological Service Administration (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 59. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the length of time it takes for children to be publicly assessed by the National Educational Psychological Service; his further views on whether these waiting times are acceptable; and the measures his Department is taking to improve access to psychological assessment for school children. [1897/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for developing apprenticeship opportunities for persons with disabilities. [1898/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Data (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 395. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Bus Éireann and contractor vehicles, including whether they are large, medium, mini or taxi, operating the school transport scheme, in tabular form. [41692/16]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Data (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 396. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary and post-primary pupils availing of school transport in 2015 and 2016, in tabular form; and if they are eligible or concessionary. [41693/16]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 422. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the services available for children with dyslexia, specifically in respect of audio textbooks, which have been proven to be of help but are not currently available from his Department. [1400/17]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 471. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the expected timeframe for the introduction of the repair and lease scheme in County Meath as outlined in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41371/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 812. To ask the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for an occupational therapist for a person (details supplied). [41053/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 813. To ask the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a psychologist for a person (details supplied). [41054/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 823. To ask the Minister for Health if a residential care home or any of its community-based facilities (details supplied) are being used as rehabilitation centres or long-term accommodation for sex offenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41099/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (17 Jan 2017)

Thomas Byrne: 826. To ask the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for speech therapy for a person (details supplied). [41106/16]