Results 1,621-1,640 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (4 Feb 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I fully appreciate the points being made by the Deputy. There seems to be some discrepancy between the numbers given by the Deputy, which are described by the Deputy as being close to 40, and our information, which is that they are closer to ten. Perhaps we might try to establish the figure concerned. The issue has primarily arisen from the withdrawal of direct funding of the centre by the...

Topical Issue Debate: Educational Disadvantage (4 Feb 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. My Department currently provides resources for the Life Centre in Dublin and in Cork. In the past academic year, my Department allocated a total of 2,768 teaching hours to the centres under the co-operation hours scheme operated by the local education and training boards, ETBs. In addition, €114,000 is provided annually to the two centres...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education (4 Feb 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department through SOLAS specifically funds English as a Second Language (ESOL) tuition for adults as part of the adult literacy service. Education and Training Boards (ETBs) deliver the tuition and decide on the level of funding and extent of the service provided in accordance with local demand and needs. ETBs may also provide English language tuition under the Back to Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Appeals (4 Feb 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 the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has advised that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education (4 Feb 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department through SOLAS provides funding to Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board (ETB) by way of tuition hours and administrative support for the centre referred to by the Deputy. There is no provision for any other staffing allocation. As the Deputy is aware a moratorium on recruitment and promotion is applicable to the civil and public service and all positions other than...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Regulations (30 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I will arrange for a direct reply to the Deputy when the issues raised have been considered by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childcare Education and Training Scheme Places (30 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Childcare assistance was introduced in the late 1990s as a way of providing assistance to people participating on specific Further Education programmes who faced barriers returning to education. In 2010, this programme was restructured into the Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The programmes targeted by the original...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I congratulate the Acting Chairman for his correct pronunciation of Bullaun. It is often mispronounced.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Schools Building Projects Status (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position on the proposed building project at Scoil Naomh Éanna, Bullaun, Loughrea, County Galway. The Senator will be aware of the significant demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years and the need to ensure there is sufficient school accommodation to cope with...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Administration (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Department is most definitely adopting a common sense approach in dealing with matter. The Deputy suggested that a meeting be arranged with the board of management. A meeting with the board took place last August and there has been significant and ongoing communication with the board since then. The architects and engineers working in the Department's building unit possess great...

Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Administration (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position on the building project for St. Matthew's national school in Ballymahon, County Longford, in the context of the Government's overall strategy for capital investment in education projects over the next few years. Decisions relating to meeting the accommodation needs of schools, including St....

Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position of the application for major capital funding from the St. Thomas' junior and Scoil Áine senior national schools in Lucan. I am somewhat familiar with the issue, as it has been raised with me a number of times by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald, and...

Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The 28 other projects that were included in the stimulus programme last year were either ready to go to construction or close to it. Planning for a substantial development such as this one is a tortuous process and requires significant input from a school's community and the Department's architectural and engineering experts. It is safe to say that the project in question is far along that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: As the Deputy is aware, Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the negotiation and awarding of school transport contracts to private operators. The question referred to by the Deputy related to the costs of engaging a private bus contractor for the provision of a specific service. Bus Éireann has advised my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: FÁS Training Programmes Provision (29 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am informed that following a comprehensive review of training programmes in what was then the FÁS North East Region in 2012 it was decided to discontinue driving courses. I am informed that this was due to there being no labour market demand with very few vacancies for commercial drivers being advertised. This continues to be the case. Through consultation with key stakeholders such as...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Free Education Scheme (28 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this issue as it affords me the opportunity to outline to the House the situation with regard to the recent announcement by the school authorities of the Franciscan College, Gormanston, that it will join the free education scheme from September 2014. The Senator will be aware that where the authorities of a school approach the Department about entering the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Local Authority Staff Numbers (28 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I thank Senator Kelly for raising this matter. As the Senator is aware, general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund are the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government's contribution towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. However, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (28 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The specific information sought by the Deputy regarding the times of buses is not held by my Department. However, the Deputy will be aware that 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. Children are eligible for school transport where...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: In order to provide a modern and flexible Irish Apprenticeship System, reflective of the relevant skills requirements of both industry and potential apprentices, I established an independent group to carry out a comprehensive review of the Apprenticeship System in Ireland last year. Following consultation with relevant stakeholders, the Review Group prepared a comprehensive report and made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (28 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: SOLAS has introduced a range of measures to assist redundant apprentices who have a time deficit in their apprenticeship. A Competency Determination Mechanism (CDM) provides redundant apprentices with the opportunity, subject to demand, to demonstrate their skills and knowledge against the occupational standard for the following specified trades over a number of days in a Training Centre. ...