Results 1,641-1,660 of 3,797 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

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

Ciarán Cannon: As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2011, I announced that some 40 new schools are to be established up to 2017 to cater for increasing demographics across a number of locations. Many of these schools have commenced operation, one of which was a new post-primary school for Gorey, and plans are advanced to establish the remainder. The Forward Planning Section of my Department will continue...

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

Ciarán Cannon: 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. Bus Éireann has advised my Department that it does not disclose tender pricing on the basis that such details constitute commercially sensitive information. Bus Éireann is satisfied that it is in...

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

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy will be aware that 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. In relation to the issues raised by the Deputy, there are discussions ongoing between officials at my...

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

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy will be aware that annual charging, as opposed to term charging, was introduced in the 2009/10 school year. The current annual charges for school transport are €100 per child at primary level and €350 per child at post primary level; these charges are subject to an annual family maximum of €220 for families with children attending primary schools only or an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youthreach Programme Staff (28 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 to 262, inclusive, together. City of Cork Education and Training Board has informed my Department that 17 Resource Persons were appointed to the Youthreach programme since 2005. These were appointed on the following points of the Resource Persons pay scale: 14 at point 1, 1 at point 2, 1 at point 4 and 1 at point 7. Limerick and Clare Education and...

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

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann has advised my Department that a small number of irregular cash transactions were identified through internal checks in their Dundalk office. I am informed that in line with Bus Éireann's control procedures the issue was formally notified to An Garda Síochána. Bus Éireann further advise that at no stage were Gardaí refused information by the Company....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (28 Jan 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. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making this payment to the Institutes of...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: According to the people I have spoken to in the industry ICT skills are not the issue. In fact those skills compare very favourably internationally. The level is not so high in generic skills, such as communication and teamwork. The heads of most of our universities recognise this is a challenge and they are liaising and collaborating with industry to see how best they can incorporate...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: There is no question but that questions are being asked within certain sectors in industry on whether there is the potential to scaleup skills in industry. This relates to indigenous industry and the multinationals which have chosen to locate here. The hope is to address the dearth of skills that is occurring. We should be aware that this is not an issue unique to Ireland. It is predicted...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I will briefly address the issues of Quality and Qualifications Ireland, accreditation and progression, which the Chairman raised and to which I have referred previously. As a result of the new legislation underpinning Quality and Qualifications Ireland, the new body has a role to play in regularly addressing and examining the access, transfer and progression model in place across the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The report was a separate process. The report was tasked to look at the apprenticeship model nationally and how we move from our traditional understanding of what the word apprenticeship means. We are trying to modify how one thinks of apprenticeship as being in the construction sector predominantly into other sectors in which we see the economic growth of the future. That process was...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I have had a similar experience with another body, UCD, when a constituent of mine wanted to begin a course in paramedics for which the minimum entry requirement was the leaving certificate. He had FETAC level 5 and 6 qualifications in paramedics as he was a very experienced paramedic, and could probably have given most of the course, but because he did not have a formal leaving certificate,...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am happy for members to pose questions.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: That is correct, yes.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I recall a former Minister, many years ago, following a debacle involving wasteful public spending, describing €50 million as a "drop in the ocean". At the time I made a solemn promise to myself that if I ever became involved in politics at national level, I would not fall into the same trap. I genuinely do not consider €1.6 million to be an insignificant amount of money.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: It is still a significant amount of money. I do not think the imposition of the extra charge on apprentices will act as a major disincentive to them in either accessing the apprenticeship system or completing their apprenticeships. Deputies must bear in mind that the charge is €833, of which apprentices were already paying 30% and had been for many years. The fee was predominantly...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy should bear in mind that apprentices also receive travel and subsistence payments to meet the costs associated with their apprenticeships during the institute of technology phases. They are covered if they have extenuating costs associated with this. On the basis that they are receiving between €300 and €600 a week in wages, as opposed to €31 a week for a...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 26 - Department of Education and Skills (Revised) (22 Jan 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: By the beginning of September, every single post-primary school in the country will have 100 Mbps broadband, an industrial or high-quality level of broadband service, supplied to it. It came about because of collaboration between our Department and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources predominantly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (22 Jan 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 my 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (22 Jan 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 my 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...