Results 5,321-5,340 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

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

Damien English: Further education and training programmes are available locally throughout the country. Participants on programmes such as the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme and Youthreach and programmes provided through the network of ETB Training Centres are paid travel allowances towards the cost of travel to courses and they are also entitled to childcare support under the Childcare in...

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

Damien English: In January 2015, the Apprenticeship Council formally invited proposals for new apprenticeship programmes from consortia of enterprise, professional bodies and education and training providers. 86 separate proposals were received by the deadline of end March. The Apprenticeship Council reported to me on the 30th June following its evaluation of proposals for new apprenticeships. No proposal...

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

Damien English: At the end of 2014, apprentice registrations for the existing 27 craft apprenticeships were up 40% on the same point in 2013. This positive trend in apprentice registrations is continuing across the majority of craft apprenticeships. At the end of June 2015 apprentice registrations were up 17% on the same time last year. The forecast for future apprenticeships registrations remains strong and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (14 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 by Bus Éireann and transport routes are planned and shared in such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 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...

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

Damien English: There are currently 27 trades covered by the apprenticeship system in Ireland. Recruitment to apprenticeship is undertaken by employers. As apprenticeship is concentrated in construction, motor and engineering, areas where employment is largely male, female participation in apprenticeship is low. There are efforts to increase female participation in the current trades, including a bursary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (9 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: Adult Education (9 Jul 2015)

Damien English: The Adult Literacy service is funded by my Department through SOLAS and delivered locally by Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Staff delivering adult literacy programmes are either paid tutors or unpaid volunteers. ETBs employ tutors to deliver the adult literacy programme and it is the ETBs that set out the terms and conditions of employment of the tutors they employ. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (8 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...

Central Bank (Variable Rate Mortgages) Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Regarding Deputy Ó Cuív's concerns, he may not be aware that the Minister for Finance is in Brussels at a meeting and cannot be here. He would like to be here but cannot be. As Deputy Michael McGrath knows, the Minister would be here if he could be as he does attend these debates. However, he cannot be in two places at once despite all he is able to do. The Government appreciates...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Boundaries Review (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, who sends his apologies for being unable to take this debate. I thank Deputy Fleming for the opportunity to update the House on this matter. As Members are aware, on 19 June last, my colleague, the Minster for the Environment, Community and Local Government,...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Boundaries Review (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: To be helpful to the Deputy, in the case of Waterford and Carlow, membership of the committee includes: Mr. David O'Connor, former Fingal County Manager, who will chair the committee; Mr. Ciarán Lynch from the Limerick Institute of Technology, Thurles Campus, and former chief planner with Clare County Council; and Mr. Ollie Killeen, former head of finance at Limerick County Council....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: Under the terms of my Department's 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 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 determined by Bus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Colleges (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: My Department does not hold records on allocations of funding to individual Further Education and Training Colleges. Funding for further education programmes was previously allocated by my Department to VECs and the further allocation of these resources to colleges/centres under their remit was a matter for each VEC. FAS/SOLAS were previously responsible for the operation of Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: School transport eligibility is determined under the terms of the relevant School Transport Scheme. It is important that the terms of the Scheme are applied equitably, nationally. Where an error in relation to eligibility is discovered, school transport eligibility is retained by children for the remainder of the school year in which the error is detected. Thereafter, the terms of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (7 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 education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Where there is more than one school in a Post Primary Education Centre, eligibility is determined...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (7 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 not eligible for school transport may apply to Bus Éireann for transport on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (7 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 Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Children who are not eligible for school transport, may apply for transport on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Broadband Service Provision (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: The Broadband Programme which installed high speed broadband in all second level schools was a joint venture between the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and my Department. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources paid all the capital costs for the programme along with the current costs for the year of installation and one full year following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Funding (7 Jul 2015)

Damien English: While there is no dedicated capital budget available for further education a small amount of funding is made available annually for emergency works and an application from Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board in respect of Galway Technical Institute is currently being considered by my Department under this scheme. The Further Education and Training Strategy published by SOLAS...