Results 941-960 of 3,895 for speaker:John Halligan

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: International Bodies Membership (24 May 2018)

John Halligan: Innovation 2020, the national strategy for research and innovation, recognises that in order for Ireland to become a Global Innovation Leader, our research and innovation system must be open with strong international collaboration links. Membership of leading International Research Organisations is an important mechanism for facilitating this engagement. For this reason, the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (24 May 2018)

John Halligan: In the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2018, Ireland ranks among the high-performing cluster of countries in 6th position, up three positions from DESI 2017. Ireland ranks first in the share of young people holding a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degree. However, the report also states that more than half of the population lack basic digital skills. ...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (23 May 2018)

John Halligan: I thank the Deputy again. Obviously, I recognise that he is concerned with the safety and health of the 116,000 children, including 12,000 with special needs, who are transported around the country every year, sometimes in poor conditions. I accept that. When somebody is driving and has responsibility for the general public - particularly for schoolchildren and so on - the Department, Bus...

Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (23 May 2018)

John Halligan: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will begin by giving an outline of the extent of the school transport service. School transport is a significant service. At present, more than 116,000 children, including more than 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported by approximately 4,500 vehicles each day to primary and post-primary schools throughout the...

Priority Questions: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses Availability (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: I thank Deputy Burton. I spoke to her about this very briefly several weeks ago. In Dublin 15, further education and training, FET, provision is planned by Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board, DDLETB, to cater for over 21,000 beneficiaries this year, offering a wide range of courses consisting mainly of part-time and community adult education, some of which is...

Priority Questions: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses Availability (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: If I were to be quite frank with the Deputy, I would say that the area is probably not as well served as other areas in the context of the capital budget. There has been huge investment in schools there. The demand on the budget is significant. The vocational education opportunities scheme, VTOS, was previously on offer to Riversdale community college but due to a decline in demand,...

Priority Questions: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses Availability (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: I remind the Deputy that SOLAS is responsible for the allocation of post-leaving certificate places in the overall national provision. Having said that, I would be delighted to take up the Deputy's offer to visit the area. I will re-engage with the Deputy at a later date. This will be my third time stating that I accept the fact that the area is probably not as well served. Perhaps I will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: Securing skills supply from the education and training to the construction sector is a major focus of my Department as part of broader Government actions to increase housing supply and roll out the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework. Construction related apprenticeship registrations increased from 1,713 in 2015 to 2,314 in 2016 which represents an increase of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes Eligibility (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: Within the further education and training sector, access to English for Speakers of Other Languages and adult literacy provision is available for asylum seekers with priority given to those in need of basic English language skills to a level of functional competency. Asylum seekers (international protection applicants) did not have access to the labour market and as a result ESOL and adult...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: The decision to increase fees in such cases as that referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter for which the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) has responsibility. In view of this I have forwarded your query to the CDETB for direct reply to you. In 2014, my Department established the ‘Committee for Non-Mainstream Department of Education and Skills funded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Employment Initiative (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together. The YEI is integrated into ESF programming and is being delivered in Ireland as a dedicated priority axis within the ESF Programme for Education, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020. All ESF activities, including YEI activities, are fully funded up-front by the Exchequer with the EU (ESF/YEI) funding being claimed in arrears. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Training Fund (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together. Last week I published the first National Training Fund (NTF) Expenditure Report, which sets out the expenditure allocations, targets and indicators for programmes in receipt of support from the National Training Fund for 2018. The publication of the Report is an important step in delivering greater transparency on the use of the Fund....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Training Fund (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: In 2018, €122m has been allocated for apprenticeship training which represents an increase of almost 24% on the 2017 allocation of €98.7m. This will allow for the delivery of 10 new apprenticeship programmes and 6,197 new apprentice registrations as set out in the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship 2016-2020. Future years' allocations will be determined...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: Construction related apprenticeship registrations increased from 1,713 in 2015 to 2,314 in 2016 which represents an increase of 35%.  This trend continued in 2017 with a further increase of 28% on the 2016 figure bringing the total number of construction related registrations to 2,963. Apprenticeship is a demand driven educational and training programme, which aims to develop the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: Further Education and Training (FET) provision, including apprenticeship training, is planned at a national level by SOLAS.  Applications for funding for FET are made to SOLAS by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) as part of the overall FET planning process. It is a matter for the management of each ETB to decide on the allocation of funding to FET programmes and to schools and...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Industrial Disputes (22 May 2018)

John Halligan: I am aware of the ongoing industrial relations issues at the company referred to by the Deputy. Ireland’s system of industrial relations is based in voluntarism and it has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments to support the development of an institutional framework supportive of this voluntary system through which good industrial relations can prosper. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Supports (17 May 2018)

John Halligan: The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) is an EU co-funding instrument to assist workers who are made redundant as a result of globalisation or due to a global financial and economic crisis. To be eligible for assistance there must be at least 500 redundancies in a specific company (including suppliers / downstream producers) in a 4 month period, or at least 500 redundancies in a...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Legislative Programme (17 May 2018)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 143, inclusive, together. The Trade Secrets Directive is due to be transposed by all Member States by 9 June 2018 and the drafting of the Statutory Instrument to give effect to the Directive is at an advanced stage. My Department has been working in close consultation with the Office of the Parliamentary Council to ensure that the final result...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Research and Development Funding (17 May 2018)

John Halligan: The current Cycle of PRTLI (Cycle 5) was announced in 2010 and has involved exchequer expenditure of approximately €277m with a further €59m of private investment. Cycle 5 projects have now been completed and my Department is addressing the remaining payments associated with these awards. The 2018 allocation to PRTLI is €14.3m with a portion of this being used to part...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (16 May 2018)

John Halligan: Section 30 (1) of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 provides for the composition of each Board, as follows: 12 members elected by the relevant local authority or local authorities; 2 education and training board staff members elected by staff members; 2 members appointed by the Board from nominees of the National Parents' Council; 5 members appointed by the Board from bodies...