Results 1,381-1,400 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: 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 kms 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 by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The State's consistent position is that the school transport arrangements comply with EU State Aid requirements and it is not accepted that "illegal state aid" arises. The FGS report, which was published on the Department's website on 16th April 2014, does not alter this position. Accordingly, the hypothetical matters raised in the Deputy's question do not arise.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department is in contact with Bus Éireann in relation to the detail of the Deputy’s question. The information requested will be provided directly to the Deputy when received.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 267 together. The VTOS programme is for unemployed adults aged 21 and over therefore there are no learners under 21 enrolled on the programme. My Department does not collect data on the age cohorts in VTOS in the format requested by the Deputy. However, statistics at the end of December 2012, which is the latest available data on learners in VTOS,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services Issues (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 to 263, inclusive, together. Statistics at the end of December 2012, which is the latest available data on learners in Youthreach, show that 1,631 learners were aged 18 to 25 and 1,682 were aged under 18. The rates of allowance payable to Youthreach learners are as follows: €40 per week for learners aged 16 and 17; €188 per week for existing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Post-Leaving Certificate Courses (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together. I do not have a breakdown of the number of learners who commenced Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses in 2013 but as PLC courses are generally of one year duration it is estimated that the majority of those who enrolled in PLC in the 2013/2014 academic year were commencing a PLC course. There were 34,096 learners enrolled on PLC...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (17 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The purpose of my Department's School Transport Schemes is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. While it is the prerogative of parents to send their children to the school of their choice, eligibility for school transport is to the nearest school or education centre. Children who are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (12 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Annual Student Contribution is levied on apprentices and students attending Institutes of Technology. This contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. Following a Budget 2014 decision, SOLAS ceased making this payment to the Institutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (12 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 to 93, inclusive, together. Changes to the Post Primary School Transport Scheme mean that from the 2012/13 school year, eligibility for all children newly entering a post primary school is determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest Post-Primary Education Centre having regard, as heretofore, to ethos and language. In general,...

Death and Burial of Children in Mother and Baby Homes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputies who have contributed to the debate. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Charles Flanagan, and I appreciate the co-operation that has been given by the House on this very sensitive matter. These sensitivities are foremost in the minds of Members who are deeply aware that there are people in Ireland who continue to live with the reality of the issues...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Transparency of Boards) Bill 2014: Second Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I would like to commence by saying how pleased I am to have this opportunity to address the House in respect of the Public Service Management (Transparency of Boards) Bill 2014 brought forward by Senator Quinn. At the outset, I would like to say that policy proposals from our colleagues to further improve the effectiveness of corporate governance in the public service are greatly welcomed....

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: There were 20 places allocated in the whole of Balbriggan before this change was made. There are now 40. Given the demographic information available from the Central Statistics Office, there is a dearth of VTOS places in Balbriggan.

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: That is the Deputy's opinion.

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: That is the Deputy's opinion.

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: By whom?

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I trust the board and its management which has significant experience in this regard. It has not just been doing this work of allocating scarce VTOS places since last October but for many years. We conferred on all education and training boards, ETBs, autonomy to make these decisions in the best interests of the people they served.

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I have given the Deputy the logical reasons for the ETB's decision and do not see how we can contradict it. Removing 20 of 120 places and allocating them to an area with population that, in the ETB's opinion, is rapidly increasing is a reasonable decision. I stand over it on the basis of the expertise and wisdom to be found in the ETB which render it well able to make such decisions.

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to outline to the House the position in respect of the VTOS programme in St. Dominic's National School, Tallaght. The vocational training opportunities scheme is a second-chance education and training programme for unemployed adults in receipt of certain Department of Social Protection payments. The courses...

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Yes, I am listening.

Topical Issue Debate: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (11 Jun 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I did tell Deputy Crowe but he was not listening.