Results 7,301-7,320 of 8,652 for speaker:Seán Crowe

Voluntary Contributions (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: What is really galling for many parents is the fact that these payments are supposedly voluntary. When addressing some of the teachers' conferences, the Minister referred to the book-lending scheme initiative and also said he would not put new books on the curriculum. We all support that initiative but how will it be rolled out? No one should be putting families under extra pressure,...

School IT Systems (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: I am aware of the initiative on rolling out broadband. One of the difficulties facing schools is the speed at which such a service can be accessed. Another difficulty can arise if an IT teacher retires because one must then buy in such expertise, which puts pressure on existing resources. It is increasingly happening and the issue is being discussed by boards of management which are trying...

Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 2: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding he intends to make available to complete the construction of new school builds and upgrades to existing buildings including snag lists that were the responsibility of builders who went out of business during the economic downturn resulting in many schools being left unfinished and unfit for use. [19503/11]

Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: We touched on this when we discussed the Estimates. I do not know the extent of the problem. I am aware of previous problems with subcontractors and with delays in payments to contractors. The only such evidence I have that schools have encountered such difficulties is anecdotal. Apparently, the process of accessing the bond mentioned by the Minister can be quite slow because the legal...

Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: I raised with the previous Minister the fact that many contractors are submitting bids that are too low. That is causing difficulty for legitimate contractors. The University of Limerick had a problem with a contractor recently. This issue arises with big and small jobs. It would be useful if a mechanism could be found to give us a sense of the extent to which this is having an impact....

Schools Building Projects (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Would the Minister agree to the review?

Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 5: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a report outlining the way a decision is made by him in which children with behavioural or special needs may lose a special needs assistant; the appeals process currently in place and the amount of schools, children and parents that have been informed that they are losing their supports next year. [19504/11]

Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Would the Minister agree that the critical issue is that parents must trust the SENO and the National Council for Special Education? The difficulty facing many parents who have been recently through the process is that there is a lack of trust, transparency and consistency. There seems to be a lack of consistency, not only locally in Ireland but internationally. The value for money review...

Special Educational Needs (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: I accept a cap is in place. Recently my colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, tabled a question about the number of special needs assistants employed in County Donegal. He was informed this was not readily available, which seems bizarre. How are these assessments carried out? It appears there are difficulties across the board. How many of the children assessed have been taken out of DEIS...

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32 (7 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to discuss a matter of major public importance, namely, the imminent cuts to special needs assistants working in schools and the implications the current Government's policy is having on schools such as St. Mark's junior national school in Springfield in Tallaght which has had its SNA allocation cut from 13 to 6.5, a reduction of...

Written Answers — Olympic Games: Olympic Games (6 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 50: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts he has made to ensure the Olympic torch passes through Ireland in the run up to the London Olympics in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18967/11]

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 43: To ask the Minister for Finance the total savings to the Exchequer in a full financial year arising from a cap of €100,000 on public sector pay. [18588/11]

Written Answers — Fiscal Policy: Fiscal Policy (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 71: To ask the Minister for Finance if he expects to meet the €1,500 million additional revenue raising target for 2012 as set out in the EU-IMF support programme. [18589/11]

Written Answers — Board Membership: Board Membership (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 576: To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the membership of the various hospitals, health-related statutory boards and institutions, including those set out in statutory instruments; and the governance criteria for persons sitting on these boards. [18479/11]

Written Answers — Board Membership: Board Membership (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 577: To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether there is a credibility deficit due to the fact that some former senior banking officials are sitting on health-related boards, institutions and hospitals in an oversight role; and the governance criteria needed for persons sitting on these boards. [18480/11]

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 581: To ask the Minister for Health when the children's Beech Ward in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, was closed; the reason it was closed; and when it will re-open. [18509/11]

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 582: To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the closure of the Beech Ward in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin; if he will provide a report outlining the effect this closure will have on children awaiting medical procedures in the hospital; and how this closure will impact on potential surgeries. [18510/11]

Written Answers — HIQA Inquiries: HIQA Inquiries (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 583: To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm that there is a Health Information and Quality Authority inquiry into the accident and emergency ward in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin; the terms of reference; the timescale of the inquiry; and if he intends to make the outcomes and recommendations public. [18512/11]

Hospital Services: Motion (5 Jul 2011)

Seán Crowe: In supporting tonight's motion I reiterate the importance of securing funding for essential hospital services across this island. Our health system is failing people across this State and nowhere is this more clearly recognised than in my constituency of Dublin South-West. Tallaght hospital, despite the best efforts of its hard-pressed staff, exemplifies much of what is wrong with the...

Written Answers — Hospital Staff: Hospital Staff (30 Jun 2011)

Seán Crowe: Question 46: To ask the Minister for Health his policy on the practice in some hospitals of contracting routine clerical work outside of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17909/11]