Results 1,541-1,560 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Ireland's performance in the programme for the international assessment of adult competencies (PIAAC) survey was mixed. While I am encouraged that progress is being made on the adult literacy front, with a four percentage point drop in the proportion of Irish adults scoring at or below level one, the results of the PIAAC survey has reinforced my view that we need to work hard on core skills....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together. The terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme are available on my Department and Bus Éireann websites. Included in the terms of the scheme are guidelines for travel and waiting times for children attending primary or post primary schools. Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 71 and 72 together. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the procurement of contractors to provide transport services under the School Transport Scheme. Bus Éireann is also responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 73 together. The terms of my Department's School Transport Schemes are available on my Department and Bus Éireann websites. For school bus operating purposes a "distinct locality" is a cluster of eligible children who reside in the same general area, in the same general direction from the school attended, as determined by Bus Éireann taking...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The FGS report assessed a range of options for alternative methods for the calculation of the transport management charge in place of the current 13% approach. None of the recommendations of the report was implemented.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy's question is somewhat unclear. I assume the Deputy is referring to the amount of the transport management charge. For completeness, the amount of this charge in respect of the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 is as follows: Some €18.465m (2008), €18.715m (2009), €18.2m (2010), €16.7m (2011), €15m (2012) and €15m (2013). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am advised by Bus Éireann that zero based accounting methods are not used in the administration of school transport.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I have no plans to arrange the measures as described in the Deputy's question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand from SOLAS that following the closure of a Local Training Initiative in 2012, Statutory Redundancy was paid to the persons involved. Local Training Initiatives are funded through SOLAS and managed and operated by local groups. The staff are employed by these groups and my Department does not have a direct role in relation to staff and employment issues relating to these bodies....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the procurement of contractors to provide transport services under the School Transport Scheme. I am satisfied with the current tendering process given that Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Funding (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together. The payment of an additional training allowance of €20 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), Youthreach and VTOS training and education courses. In the present economic situation this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The rebate is the difference between what the Company is due under the calculation as set out in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements and the amount actually paid. This is an appropriate description.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (3 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The confidentiality agreement was signed on behalf of Bus Éireann on 1 May 2009 and on behalf of Farrell Grant Sparks on 5 May 2009.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Fees (3 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. Under the terms of the scheme a child, who is eligible for school transport, but for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time...

Seanad: Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I, like many of the Senators who have contributed to this debate, would like to thank Senator Barrett for the work he has put into the drafting of this Private Members' Bill which seeks, among other things to consolidate third level legislation into a single Bill; provide for the establishment of a higher education and research grants committee which would decide upon all third level funding;...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (2 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together. I take it the Deputy is referring to my press release of 30th June 2011. The €17 million saving related to the savings to be achieved in the overall school transport budget under the four year national recovery plan. I take it the Deputy's reference to the administration charges refers to the 13% charge, also referred to as the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Data (2 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The level of information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and to provide such detail would require considerable research involving a number of sections within my Department and Bus Éireann. In 2013 there were over 1300 Remote Area Grant payments made to families of children who attended over 300 primary schools; the total cost of these grant payments was some €0.9m....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Obesity Strategy (1 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am happy to take this debate on behalf of the Minister for Health and thank Senator Conway for raising this very important issue. Senators will be very aware of the worrying trend that 61% of adults in Ireland and one in four children is overweight or obese. Reliable contemporary and locally relevant figures show that the annual economic cost of weight-related ill health in adults is...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Obesity Strategy (1 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I concur with the opinions expressed by the Senator. In the past ten or 12 years we have been exceptionally careful in certain instances to suppress the opportunity for children to play in our schools because of concerns around health and safety. We need to look at models that are emerging worldwide of very structured play opportunities for children during their break times that will allow...