Results 5,301-5,320 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I wish to inform the Deputy that I recently met with a representation of parents from the area in question. The terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme were fully explained and I undertook to provide additional information on a number of issues raised at this meeting. However, I must again emphasise the importance of ensuring that the terms of the school transport scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Speeds (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: There is a project underway at present to provide all the Training Centres and the Head Office locations of the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) with gigabit connections to the Government Cloud Network. Currently the training centres all have 50mbps connections and all internet traffic passes through SOLAS head office, but the new gigabit connections will provide the centres with direct...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Staff (16 Jul 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy may be aware of the decision of the previous Government to implement a recruitment and promotion moratorium in the public sector, which is binding upon all Government departments, non-commercial state bodies and agencies. In respect of Educational Training Boards, positions other than teacher and SNA posts in schools, and teacher equivalents that are directly providing tuition...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Schemes (15 Jul 2015)

Damien English: In the first Action Plan for Jobs in 2012, special actions were initiated to support an increase in female entrepreneurs. This included Enterprise Ireland’s first dedicated Competitive Start Call for female entrepreneurs. That call was massively oversubscribed and was immediately extended. That was the first step taken. An increase of female entrepreneurship has been a...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Schemes (15 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Regarding the statistics, the Deputy quoted the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, GEM. To be clear, the 2013 report showed that Irish men were 1.9 times more likely than Irish women to start their own business or become an early stage entrepreneur, and the EU average is 1.9:1. That is not good enough but we are competing in that regard. We are slightly above the OECD average, which is...

Other Questions: Enterprise Support Schemes (15 Jul 2015)

Damien English: That is a fair comment. We try, through the Action Plan for Jobs, to bring all the Departments together in that regard. I understand the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy James Reilly, is bringing forward a document next week on the child care element and early school learning. It is hoped there will be some supports in that and that this will encourage us. On the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (15 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Given the increase in the School Transport Section workload at this time of the year combined with the routine administrative work in relation to school transport provision generally, regrettably, it was not feasible to deal with the increased volume of representations in a more timely manner. In relation to the query raised by the Deputy, I can advise that under the terms of my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Expenditure (15 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Receipts from the annual charge were some €13m in 2014 of which €2.3m and €10.7m were in respect of primary and post primary children respectively. It is important to note that children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge. Notwithstanding that the numbers of children holding medical...

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

Damien English: The scale of the School Transport Scheme, transporting some 114,000 children every school day on some 6,000 school transport routes utilising some 4,000 vehicles every school day makes it the largest public transport operation in the State. Transport services for both primary and post-primary children are co-ordinated and transport routes are planned and shared in such a way as to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (15 Jul 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware that from the commencement of the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for post primary children is being determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest post-primary education centre having regard to ethos and language. Children who were eligible for school transport prior to the introduction of the above change will retain their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Applications (15 Jul 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, which operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (14 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I propose to take Questions Nos. 752, 825 and 826 together. 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. Decisions regarding a child's eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 Jul 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 child in question is not attending her nearest school and is therefore not eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (14 Jul 2015)

Damien English: The Apprenticeship Council reported to me on the 30th June recommending that, following its evaluation of proposals for new apprenticeships, 25 proposals across a range of sectors be prioritised for development. I am currently in the process of examining the implications of the report in the light of the governance, budgetary and other considerations raised. The next stage of the process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme, a child with special educational needs is eligible for transport if s/he is attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under my Department's criteria. Children who are eligible for school transport, under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's 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 (RAG) towards the cost of private transport arrangements. The RAG is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (14 Jul 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. A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (14 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 Jul 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. Children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 Jul 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. A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus...