Results 5,101-5,120 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Multi-Unit Developments (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (13 Nov 2015)

Damien English: On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, who is unavailable today, I welcome the opportunity provided by Deputy Murphy’s Private Member’s Bill to address policy issues related to multi-unit developments. I want to state clearly that the Government opposes Deputy Murphy’s Bill. Before explaining the reasons for the Government’s opposition, I want to recall...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Applications (12 Nov 2015)

Damien English: I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising the matter again. We had discussions previously about how bad planning has had a major affect on her area in the context of the provision of education places, given the number of houses that have been built there. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter again. Deputy Coppinger has argued that previous governments have made promises but this...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Applications (12 Nov 2015)

Damien English: In terms of the two schools to which the Deputy refers, the concerns and issues with the Department are well rehearsed. The Deputy is right - the conditions in which the pupils are being educated are not acceptable. It is the aim of the Department to reform the system to be able to maximise the use of public finances to provide accommodation where it is required in the first instance, that...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Applications (12 Nov 2015)

Damien English: Deputy Coppinger just said it, which is good.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (10 Nov 2015)

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 Eligibility (10 Nov 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. The school referred to by the Deputy is not currently classified as an All-Irish school for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (10 Nov 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 496 to 498, inclusive, together. The Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) EGF Programme was approved in April 2015 and will run until 19 September 2016. With an overall programme value of €4.15 m, the EU contribution is €2.49 m, representing 60% of the total. As the programme will run until next September and most public beneficiary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (10 Nov 2015)

Damien English: A table showing the initial allocation and actual expenditure and reimbursement figures for each of the seven completed programmes co-funded by the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in Ireland to date is set out below. EGF Programme Programme Allocation EU Contribution % EU Actual Expenditure EU Contribution EGF Budget used % EGF Amount Returned EGF Amount Returned % DELL...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (5 Nov 2015)

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 and this includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme, which Bus Éireann operates on behalf of my Department. In relation to the current...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (5 Nov 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills, is obliged to provide services in line with the terms of the scheme in an impartial, uniform and equitable fashion nationally. The purpose of the Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote i.e. 3.2...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Damien English: I will answer on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality. I thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate. I listened to some of the contributions in the past hour, but I missed the first half of the discussion last night. Sinn Féin's motion addresses many issues facing the Traveller community and there is no doubt that the Traveller community is one that experiences...

Seanad: National Mortgage and Housing Corporation Bill 2015: Second Stage (4 Nov 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senators Barrett and Quinn for bringing this Bill to the House. The issues of housing and finance are obviously very important to the country. I very much welcome the opportunity to discuss these matters in the House. First, I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, as he could not be present. He would like to have been able to take part in the debate. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Data (4 Nov 2015)

Damien English: The breakdown of the information on a per County basis, as requested by the Deputy, is not readily available. However, Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Scheme has provided the following regional information in relation to the number of children who availed of free school transport services in Counties Laois, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath. YEAR NO. OF...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (3 Nov 2015)

Damien English: My Department received an application for school transport for the child in question in the first week of September 2015. Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs this child is eligible for school transport. In this regard, a new school transport service has been sanctioned. Bus Éireann has advised that the proposed service...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (3 Nov 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 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. The children in question are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest school....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (3 Nov 2015)

Damien English: In general, children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann. The family referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest national school. Children who are not eligible for school transport may...

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

Damien English: Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Scheme has advised that the school transport service referred to by the Deputy was not operating under my Department's School Transport Scheme. Families who wish to apply for school transport under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme can do so at www.buseireann.ie.

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

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware, from my previous reply, that a replacement ticket was issued to this family. Bus Éireann has confirmed that the child in question is currently availing of a school transport service.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (3 Nov 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement, which includes school transport services performed by contractors under the School Transport Scheme. Tenders are evaluated on the basis of the award criteria which consists of both Price and Quality of Service. The experience of the driver(s) assigned to perform...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (3 Nov 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme, an eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. The family in question are eligible for a grant to a pick up point in the morning and a grant from school to home...