Results 5,601-5,620 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I did not design the current system. That is what I am saying. I agree with Deputy O'Brien that we must have a look at this. The Cassells report will be part of that. It will give us something to focus on regarding the figures. I stress it must be a grown-up conversation. The parents of this country expect that and need to be told the truth, and we need to have a clear conversation...

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I am merely clarifying, I am not even picking anybody here.

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I am not even going there. I am merely saying let us face reality here. There was €30 billion missing, but matters are improving and there are more taxes coming in. This will give us the opportunity to do more in education as we want to do, but we must face facts. The funding was not there to continue what we would have liked to have done and that was why there were changes.

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: That is not what the Minister of State said at the last election.

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: We are not oblivious to that fact, and we share the Deputy's concern. That is why a priority for us on coming into government was to try to ensure the working person would not always be hit with increased charges. The Deputy will have noted that in the first three or four austerity budgets, for whatever reason the majority of changes in respect of charges and taxes affected income tax,...

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the student grant scheme are announced annually as part of the budget process. No changes to the rates or thresholds were included in budget 2015. The means test arrangements relating to the student grant scheme are applied nationally. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income before deduction of income tax...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: The Deputy will be aware that spending of more than €70 million was approved for the 2014 summer works scheme to allow over 770 schools to undertake improvement works. This allowed for the funding of applications received under categories 1 to 6, which cover gas works, electrical works, mechanical works, toilet facilities and roof works. Schools which had applied under categories 7...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I agree with the Deputy. We on this side of the House would like to spend much more money on schools, and we tried as best we could during the tough years to ensure that funding for education was protected and prioritised over that for other Departments. An additional €60 million has been allocated in the budget for education this year, because we recognise that, but it will only...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects Expenditure (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: Yes. We certainly will and we will keep making the case for it. The Deputy was not a Member at the time, but thankfully this Government adopted a commonsense approach, along the lines of the Deputy's comments, whereby prefabs were replaced with classrooms where possible. I do not have the figures in front of me, but every year for the past three years there have been major developments in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (27 Jan 2015)

Damien English: Under the Remote Area Boarding Grant scheme, provision is made for the payment of grants in respect of pupils whose normal place of residence is outside the range of public transport services to a school providing suitable free second-level education. To qualify for a boarding grant, an applicant must: (a) be normally resident in the state; and (b) be resident at least 4.8 km from a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Job Creation (22 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this report and what is being done in the overall area. We must bear in mind that the report covers some of the growth and boom years from 2004 to 2013, thus highlighting many issues in the regions, but it stops short of including this year when we are seeing much growth throughout the country. Significant progress has been made since 2011 in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Job Creation (22 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I would not say the Government has failed. The issue in recent years has been to get jobs into this country and to create new jobs. It is fair to say that much of the original growth and new jobs happened in the east and in some of the larger cities, such as Cork, Galway and Dublin. Our first aim is to try to stabilise that position and to win new jobs and then to try to address the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Job Creation (22 Jan 2015)

Damien English: It is not.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Job Creation (22 Jan 2015)

Damien English: We always say the levels on the unemployment register have dropped due to a combination of reasons, such as people leaving the country, moving around and also taking up a job. It is clear from the number of jobs created in the past three or four years that the number of additional people at work is 80,000. It is not a case that everybody has left. There are new jobs. In the early years...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Job Creation (22 Jan 2015)

Damien English: It will not be a case of putting this aside for a couple of years. We had the first regional strategy before Christmas, which covered part of this area. It was quite beneficial and there will be planning for that in a couple of months. We will not make plans and leave them sitting for two years. The Action Plan for Jobs has been an annual plan with a 90% success rate each year. Likewise...

Junior Cycle Reform: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (21 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions to this motion relating to the reform of the junior cycle that was tabled by Sinn Féin. I had a chance to listen to most of the comments. There was much decent debate but also some ill-informed debate. It is quite clear that some people do not actually understand the changes we proposed or the great lengths the Minister has gone to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Amalgamation (21 Jan 2015)

Damien English: That issue was not specified.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Amalgamation (21 Jan 2015)

Damien English: Let me be clear. This is a local decision. The two schools have gone through a process that is still continuing. If consultation is under way, it should also be continued. A steering group as been established and will comprise nominees from both schools. However, the Department will not tell either school where to go. This is a local decision. The schools had access to technical...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Amalgamation (21 Jan 2015)

Damien English: A gym was not mentioned, but I have given the Senator a commitment to get her some information when I can. I can do no more than that. I imagine that the steering group will consider what do to with the site that will not be in use. That opportunity should be discussed, but this is just my personal opinion. Now is the time to have a conversation about whether the other site can release...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Amalgamation (21 Jan 2015)

Damien English: I am taking the matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who sends her apologies. She cannot be here due to the change in schedule. I thank Senator Healy Eames for raising the matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the current position in regard to the proposed amalgamation of the Mercy and Presentation schools in...