Results 10,061-10,080 of 19,576 for speaker:Norma Foley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: It is in and around that figure and these people are not eligible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: The Deputy is asking how many temporary alleviation measure tickets have been issued-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I will have to check that for him but the new criteria for those who are attending their nearest or next nearest school mean that they are regarded as eligible or concessionary but they will be sorted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I made the decision to reintroduce the temporary alleviation measure for this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I introduced the officials at the start of the committee meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: To my right is Ms Aoife Conduit, the assistant secretary and to my left is Ms Shirley Kearney, the principal officer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I would have to say to the Deputy-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: No, because-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: And a very fine representative the Deputy is. The objective here is to fulfil the criteria that are laid down-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: -----that has been satisfied but I take the Deputy’s point on concessionaries.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: If I could reply briefly, we must be clear. I have acknowledged there are opportunities to do things-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I think I should be afforded the opportunity to make a reply here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: Even before this I had made the very clear assertion that there is an opportunity to do things differently in terms of school transport. It is for that reason we have the review. Second, on announcing a cost-of-living measure, it was not possible to change criteria in recent weeks. It would have not been fair to everybody who meets the criteria. What we have done is provided for those who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I have acknowledged that from-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: That is not the case.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I have been very clear. I absolutely accept the individual circumstances of individual families. I have said that consistently. They did not meet the criteria but that has not stopped me-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: -----taking the opportunity to meet with the Minister to see if there is additional funding to be made available.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: I referenced earlier that to change the criteria mid-stream without-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Norma Foley: It would. It would have changed the criteria mid-stream while there was an ongoing review. What was done was the waiving of fees for those who were eligible and for those who were in a position to receive concessionary tickets should there be capacity on the buses. That is what was achieved.