Results 1,821-1,840 of 3,895 for speaker:John Halligan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Programmes (25 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: The Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) EGF programme closed on 19 September 2016 and the final report and statement of expenditure must be submitted to the European Commission by 19 March 2017.  Pending the receipt and processing of the various claims for expenditure under this programme, it is not possible to provide the final expenditure figure and the related balance of unused...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Data (25 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: Since 2013, SOLAS has advised that Safe Pass Training has been completed by the following numbers:- Year Number of candidates completed Safe Pass Training 2013 60,669 2014 93,806 2015 90,339 2016 (14th October) 71,928

Topical Issues: Film Industry (20 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I can only agree with what the Deputy has said. I will not defend the indefensible and I agree that if Ardmore Studios is closing, we need to know why. I was not aware the State has a 32% stake in it. The policy issues concerning the film industry are matters for my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. I assure the Deputy I will contact her as...

Topical Issues: School Patronage (20 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: The Deputy has my word on that. The Minister or I will revert to her immediately once the decision is made. I will do my utmost to have an answer for her about the school. We will revert to her within a week. Is that fair enough?

Topical Issues: Film Industry (20 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Clearly, my thoughts are with the workers and families affected by the announcement. I hope that all employment rights will be adhered to if it comes to the closure or sale of the studios. The sale of Ardmore Studios is a commercial decision by the owners of the studios. In this regard, Enterprise Ireland only has a minority stake in Ardmore...

Topical Issues: School Patronage (20 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I thank the Deputy for raising the question, which gives me the opportunity to set out the process by which it is decided who will operate a new school. Since 2011, new schools are established only in areas of demographic growth. My Department uses a geographical information system to identify the areas under increased demographic pressure nationwide. The system uses a range of data...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (20 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: The National Skills Strategy 2025 contains an ambitious target to support the delivery of 50,000 apprenticeship and traineeship places up to 2020.  The achievement of this target will require commitment from a number of key stakeholders and is dependent on strong employer demand and economic capacity. However, I am confident that we will deliver on our targets and that learners,...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (19 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: As I indicated, 114,000 children are being carried on school transport twice a day, every day, and 10,000 children with special needs are being carried. I invited representatives of all parties to meet me in recent months to initiate a review. The previous review was carried out two years ago and it ends next September. We have received submissions from representatives of all parties. The...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (19 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: The review is being formulated, collated and put together and will be available to all parties within two weeks.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (19 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: As the Senator may be aware, an extensive identification process to select schools for inclusion in DEIS was conducted in 2005. This process took the form of an invitation to schools to apply to participate in the programme by way of a completed survey of their pupil cohort. This is new to me but she is correct that a number of reminders were issued to the school in question by my...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (19 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I empathise with the Senator's comments. I do not say that to be compassionate. I understand the difficulty is that criteria were laid down for all schools to be included in DEIS and the school did not participate in the process. The school was also informed that there was an appeals mechanism in place but it did not even participate in that part of the process. I do not know why what was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Review (19 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres...

Funding for Education: Motion [Private Members] (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I move amendment No. 4:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “welcomes: - the commitments in the Programme for Government and in the Confidence and Supply Arrangement for a Fine Gael-led Government in the education area, including reducing class sizes, reintroducing guidance counselling for secondary schools and increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: 144. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of refugees Ireland is planning to take in here considering in 2015 it was only a very small number. [30959/16]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: 145. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason a hotel (details supplied) is the only reception centre for the very few Syrian refugees that have come to Waterford city. [30960/16]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211, 212, 229 and 230 together. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Care Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: The Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) is not available to learners in PLC provision. CETS, which is administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, is available to support long term unemployed learners engaging on Youthreach, VTOS and ETB Training provision.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Review (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I propose take Questions Nos. 240 and 255 together. As committed to in the Programme for Government, a review of the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme has been undertaken. School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards Funding (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. SOLAS has informed me that it has not allocated any capital funding for new kitchen training facilities in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. The capital allocation for FET in 2017 has not been finalised at this point.  Education and Training Boards (ETB) have a statutory responsibility to have their programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Training Support Grant (18 Oct 2016)

John Halligan: The training allowances paid to learners on VTOS, Youthreach, CTC and ETB training courses, funded by my Department through SOLAS, are based on Department of Social Protection payment rates. These training allowances will be increased in line with the increase in the Department of Social Protection Back to Education Allowance announced in Budget 2017.