Results 1,481-1,500 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department has confirmed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Through a series of decisions the Government decided to replace 33 vocational education committees (VECs) with 16 new entities, to be known as education and training boards (ETBs), and to establish SOLAS to replace FÁS. The proposals in relation to SOLAS, as agreed by the Government, envisage a key role for the ETBs in relation to the future delivery of further education and training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Community Training Centres (CTCs) are funded through SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards. They are managed and operated by independent local Boards of Management. The staff are employed by these groups and my Department does not have a direct role in staffing and employment issues relating to these bodies. Guidance has been sought by SOLAS on the payment of enhanced redundancy to...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Provision (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Moran for raising this matter on the Adjournment. As everyone is aware, significant reforms are ongoing at every level of the Irish education system, particularly in the further education and training area and in higher education. We are slowly but surely moving towards a closer alignment to the labour market based on evidence from all relevant stakeholders, including...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Provision (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: No student will be disadvantaged in any way by this closure.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Provision (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Yes.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Education and Training Provision (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am not aware of the arrangements that have been made for the staff. I will speak to SOLAS and the local ETB and provide that information to the Senator as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria. Children who are eligible for transport retain their eligibility while they remain enrolled in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Children with special educational needs are eligible for free school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria. Bus Éireann operates the scheme on behalf of my Department and is responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Neither I, nor my officials, are aware of any non-compliance with EU law or Irish Regulations in the administration of the school transport scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The press release accurately represents the content of the FGS report and does not require correction.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (14 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann has advised, and the Department is satisfied, that all charges for maintenance costs attributable to the school transport scheme have been calculated in line with the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. I am satisfied that no issue of unlawful state aid and/or claw back arises. Furthermore, Bus Éireann has repeatedly confirmed that it does not cross subsidise...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Accommodation (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the current position on Gaelscoil Chnoc na Ré, Ballydoogan, Sligo. The over-riding objective of education capital expenditure is to meet the demographic challenge facing the education system, whereby total pupil enrolment in both primary and post-primary schools is expected to grow by around...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Summer Works Scheme Applications (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for raising this issue as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the current position on Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire's application for funding under the summer works scheme 2014 to undertake works to its outdoor facilities and playground area. Last March the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, announced that 386 schools would receive...

Topical Issue Debate: Driver Licences (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Deputy Kitt for raising this issue. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, had intended to take this matter but he is in the Seanad. In 2011, the Government decided to centralise the driver licensing service, following an examination of the options related to the requirement for all EU member states to introduce a plastic card licence. The examination...

Topical Issue Debate: Driver Licences (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The initial SAFE 2 authentication of the customer’s ID only needs to take place once. Once that has happened, there is no further need for any customer of the NDLS to attend its offices in person. I agree with Deputy Kitt, however, that there are questions about how our diaspora can go about renewing driving licences. I will raise this with the RSA and the Minister for Transport,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Review (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department is responsible for the planning and organising of school bus routes, including the designation of the pickup and set down points to be used by their bus services. Routes are planned in such a way to ensure that, as far as possible, eligible pupils have a reasonable standard of service while at the same...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that SOLAS does not have any involvement in the fees charged for training by approved Safe Pass providers. SOLAS charges Safe Pass providers a fee of €23 per registration card. This fee is intended to cover the cost of printing the card, postage, administration and monitoring of Safe Pass programmes. Persons who are unemployed and require funding for training are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Places (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Following the dissolution of FAS, responsibility for the Apprenticeship Programme transferred to SOLAS. Participants on an off the job phase of the SOLAS Apprenticeship Programme attending an Institute of Technology are paid a SOLAS training allowance based on the gross wage norms relating to their particular trade. The amounts of these allowances remain unchanged from last year and are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Places (13 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The payment of an additional training allowance of €31.80 per week for the long term unemployed was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in FÁS (now SOLAS) training courses. The payment of this allowance was later extended to those persons in receipt of social welfare disability payments to introduce...