Results 181-200 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I propose that the House adjourn until 1.30 p.m.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The Order of Business is No. 19, Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad] - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 4 - Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: If I may be as disorderly as the Leader of the Opposition-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The issue is that in the main, I take the Order of Business on a Thursday. That has been the tradition unless-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: -----I am not in a position to do so.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: If and when the Taoiseach has an announcement to make-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: -----arising from resignations, he will do so to the House when the relevant constitutional arrangements have been complied with.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I did advise the House that if and when the Taoiseach makes an announcement he will do so in this House when the constitutional arrangements have been complied with. This reminds me of the dramatics of 1986 when the coalition Government denied the people of Donegal South-West their right to be represented after the death of my father.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Not to mention-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: -----the dramatics of a former Tánaiste-----

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: -----of the Labour Party who walked out on the Fine Gael Party well before Christmas and we did not have an election until February.

Order of Business (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: I cannot add to what I have said twice in this House, that the Taoiseach will come to the House when the constitutional issues have been complied with. The Taoiseach will revert to the House. (Interruptions).

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The matter raised by the Deputy has been addressed.

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The following is the information requested by the Deputy. The Educational Disadvantage Committee was formally abolished in October 2008. If provision was to be made for the Committee's reconstitution it would be of the order of €100,000 per annum. The National Adult Learning Council was formally disbanded in October 2008. While the Council had not met since 2003 and no expenditure had...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant grant awarding authority i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. Where a grant application is refused, the reason for the refusal is given by the grant awarding authority. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the grant awarding authority...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Officials from my Department visited the school referred to by the Deputy in October 2010 and examined the prefabs at the school. The prefabs were found to be in good condition and well maintained. However if the management authority of the school in question feel that improvement works to the prefabs are necessary they may apply to my Department for grant aid for such works and any...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. In considering applications for...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: Additional cost pressures will be brought to bear on the student grant schemes in 2011. These include a significant increase in the number of students qualifying for grants, a proportionate increase in the number of students qualifying for higher rates of grants and payment of the Student Contribution on behalf of grant-holders. To manage these cost pressures, it was necessary to introduce...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for the establishment of special classes for autism and for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. In excess of 420 autism-specific classes at primary and post primary...

Written Answers — Institutes of Technology: Institutes of Technology (20 Jan 2011)

Mary Coughlan: The new National Strategy for Higher Education which I published last week has been endorsed by the Government as the basis for the development of the higher education sector over the next two decades. The Strategy address all aspects of the higher education system, including how it is governed, resourced and can be empowered to evolve and respond to the needs of all students and the wider...