Results 401-420 of 3,673 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (7 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I will take on board the points the Senator has made. If he wishes to contact my office directly, I will raise the matter with the building unit again. My reading of the response is that the building unit has concluded that the site is no longer suitable for the development of a school, irrespective of what works are done outside the curtilage of the site. We may have to look at other...

Post-Leaving Certification Courses (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I am aware that having to pay this €200 per annum charge presents a challenge for some learners wishing to participate in post leaving certificate courses. However, I would point out that the charge is modest and will be met by the Exchequer in respect of an estimated 50% of students who can claim an exemption from it. The following categories of learners are exempt from paying the...

Post-Leaving Certification Courses (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: In an ideal world, Members on both sides of the House would seek to protect the most vulnerable in our society from the biting winds of recession. However, it is not possible to exempt any sector, including the education sector, from the painful adjustments that are necessary. There are in place provisions to allow the State pay this charge on behalf of the most vulnerable. I do not believe...

Post-Leaving Certification Courses (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: There is no denying that the courses delivered through the PLC programme seek to restore people's dignity and to provide them with an opportunity to get back into the workforce. As mentioned by Deputies, the jobs initiative provides for an additional 1,000 PLC places this year. We will shortly make a decision in regard to the allocation of those places. In making that decision, I am aware...

School Transport (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 20 and 30 together. Changes to aspects of the school transport service were announced in the 2011 budget by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from recommendations in the 2010 Value for Money Review of the scheme. The wider context is that the budget for school transport increased from some €50 million to nearly €180 million...

School Transport (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The saving we are required to make, and have no option but to make under the four-year recovery agreement, is €17 million. In the context of spending €180 million per annum, that is quite a small saving. Given the actual per capita cost to the State of supplying the service is €1,020 per annum, a €50 charge is not unreasonable, particularly when one takes into consideration that all...

School Transport (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I attended a small, two-teacher rural school for eight years and that school continues to function perfectly well to this day without any school transport. All of the children attending that school either walk, cycle or are driven to and from school by their parents or grandparents or other family members. The value for money report carried out by the previous Government and the changes...

School Transport (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I take it the Deputy is referring to the changes in the primary school transport scheme announced in budget 2011 by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government. These changes, which may have an impact on the school transport service for St. Columba's national school, derive from recommendations in the value for money review of the school transport scheme and include changes to the...

School Transport (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann's analysis will be based on the most up-to-date information available on current usage patterns and this information is expected to be available this summer. The likely effects of this change will then be carefully examined well in advance of the 2012 implementation date. To put this issue in context for the 2009-2010 school year, transport services under the CSR operated to...

Health Service Reforms (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. At national level, the HSE is working intensively to ensure there are sufficient non-consultant hospital doctors, NCHDs, in each hospital, following the next rotation of posts due in July. I can confirm that the provision of hospital services at the three midland hospitals is...

Written Answers — Third Level Courses: Third Level Courses (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: EGF co-funding of supports for redundant S R Technics workers finishes on 9 October 2011 under the relevant European Commission decision. This end-date has always been made clear to both the providers of supports to the redundant workers and to the representatives of those workers wishing to avail of those supports. No additional national funding is available to fund continued study on this...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The Childcare Employment and Training Support Scheme (CETS) is managed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The CETS scheme supports the childcare needs of up to 2,800 participants in training and educational courses operated by FÁS and Vocational Educational Committees (VECs). Under this scheme free childcare is available to FÁS unemployed trainees who require childcare in...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: FÁS has, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, put in place a number of measures in recent years and in 2011 to enable registered redundant apprentices to progress in their apprenticeships. The 'Redundant Apprentice Placement Scheme' was introduced by FÁS in 2010 to provide work placement opportunities for redundant apprentices to complete their on-the-job training at Phase 3, 5...

Written Answers — Employment Action Plan: Employment Action Plan (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department is responsible for and is implementing the training and education components of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities with a view to giving them the skills to progress to further education, training or employment.

Written Answers — Higher Education: Higher Education (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy will be aware that the downturn in the construction sector has resulted in a significant fall off in the numbers of apprentices being recruited nationally. In 2009, an independent evaluation panel was established to advise the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in relation to the appropriate levels of provision which should be maintained within the education sector having regard to...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I am currently reviewing options regarding the future provision of further education and training and the structures required to support it. If necessary, following the completion of this review, I will bring proposals to Government to draft any appropriate legislation.

Written Answers — Jobs Initiative: Jobs Initiative (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 60 together. The recent Jobs Initiative contains details of over 20,000 additional training, education and work experience places for the unemployed. The majority of the places (15,900) will be delivered through the Department of Education and Skills and through the following programmes. 6,000 places on FÁS Specific Skills Training Courses (FÁS)...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: My Department has made inquiries with FÁS and with the relevant VEC about this issue. I understand also that FÁS and the VEC have been in contact about the matter and that both organisations are liaising with a view to resolving the difficulty that arose in this instance.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: Changes to school transport services were announced in the 2011 Budget by the previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and derive from recommendations in the Value for Money Review of the scheme. One of the changes, which takes effect from the beginning of the 2011/12 school year, is that the distance eligibility criterion will be applied uniformly to all pupils attending primary schools...

Written Answers — Skills Development: Skills Development (8 Jun 2011)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that 251 workers in total from both of the companies in question have participated in Skillnets Network training programmes. I also understand that since the commencement of the current Training Networks Programme, €26,960 or 21% of the total expenditure (€126,442) in respect of these companies participation in the training programmes was met through Skillnets grant funding.