Results 5,141-5,160 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Housing Provision (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senator Moran for raising the issue. I am sorry neither of my colleagues could be present to respond to the matter. They wished to be present but something came up. Social housing is a key priority for me and the Government, especially the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and the Minister of State at that Department, Deputy Paudie...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Housing Provision (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Minister is sorry he could not be here as he would be here if he could. He is aware of the case and I will report back to him also. The Senator must appreciate the Minister's job is to set out the policy and to provide funding for it. The funding has been allocated to Louth County Council. The decisions that are made daily as to who get houses and when occupational therapists visit...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Housing Provision (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I do not question the fact the Senator has raised the matter here, I am just saying I cannot account for a council's decision not to send an occupational therapist to visit a house. I do not understand that. I will raise the matter with the Minister.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Staffing (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I thank Senator Cullinane for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position on the support provided to schools with a high concentration of pupils that require language support, such as the one he has raised today. Teacher allocations are approved annually in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. Schools are very well informed about the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Staffing (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Senator asked me if I had all the figures of all the posts in the country. I do not have them but I will get them. To be clear, on the school raised by the Senator, the projected figures on which it won its appeal in March did not happen in September 2015. The projected enrolment of pupils requiring language support was not achieved by 30 September. That is why there was a change. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Tendering (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: It is a matter for Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, to procure contractors to provide services for school transport purposes. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme, a child who is eligible for school transport but 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. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (21 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware of the operation of a Common Application System (CAS) between the post-primary schools in the Limerick area. In supporting the CAS, children who reside in the Limerick area are eligible for school transport where their nearest post primary school is included in the CAS, they have enrolled through the CAS and they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from their school...

Topical Issue Debate: Enterprise Support Schemes (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I join Deputy Calleary and other members of the committee in offering condolences to the family of Mr. Hugh Cooney. The impact he had when it came to enterprise development and job creation goes without saying. He had a major influence on policy in that respect. I agree with Deputy Calleary and second his good wishes to his family at this time. It is a difficult time for them, but we...

Topical Issue Debate: Enterprise Support Schemes (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: A couple of issues were raised there. First, I want to go back to the credit guarantee scheme. It is a priority of the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to bring that in. On the issue of entrepreneurship in education, the entrepreneurship strategy singled out very clearly six top priorities, of which education is one. It cannot just be addressed in second or third level; it has to start at primary...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport Tendering (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I thank the Deputies for raising this matter today. As they know, Bus Éireann operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department and it is a matter for Bus Éireann to make suitable arrangements for the procurement of contractors to provide services on its behalf for school transport purposes, taking cognisance of public procurement requirements. Almost 90% of the...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport Tendering (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: It is not a case of not knowing the point being made because I can see the point. There is no issue in that regard and I understand what the Deputies are trying to say. They have asked about specific tender details but I do not have those documents and am not privy to them. I can try to see if I can get some information to enlighten the Deputies on the policy. The difficulty is that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: My Department received an application for school transport for the child referred to by the Deputy on the 16 October 2015. The child in question is eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs. In this regard Bus Éireann has been requested to report on the possibility of accommodating the child on an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: Children are eligible for Post Primary School Transport where they reside not less than 4.8 km from, and are attending, their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. The closing date for receipt of payments for school transport was 31st July 2015. Children for whom late payments are received cannot be guaranteed a seat on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: Bus Éireann, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that a ticket for the child in question issued in August. As the ticket has not reached the family, Bus Éireann will issue a replacement ticket.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (20 Oct 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 the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann has advised that the children referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme Eligibility (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second chance education and training programme which provides courses of up to two years duration for unemployed people. The programme is funded by my Department through SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, and delivered and managed locally by Education and Training Boards (ETBs). To be eligible for the scheme, you...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: My Department has not received a proposal from the Education and Training Board (ETB) in question regarding the acquisition of premises to accommodate lifelong learning programmes in the North Kildare area. The ETB has informed my Department that it is finalising plans for the development of a centre for Further Education and Training provision in this area and intends to make a submission to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Globalisation Fund (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 642 and 644 together. The Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) EGF programme received final approval from the EU authorities in April 2015 and will run until 19 September 2016. The overall programme allocation is some €4.15m including an EU contribution of €2.49m. An independently chaired consultative forum was established to offer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Globalisation Fund (20 Oct 2015)

Damien English: The following table shows the initial allocation and actual expenditure figures for each of the seven completed programmes co-funded by the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) in Ireland to date. The European Commission's Ex-post evaluation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) published in August 2015, indicates that across the 73 completed EGF programmes in various...