Results 121-140 of 623 for speaker:Síle de Valera

School Transport. (28 Sep 2005)

Síle de Valera: I thank Deputies Cregan, O'Sullivan and Neville for their contributions. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter and to outline my position on school transport to the Salesian college in Pallaskenry and Scoil Mhuire in Askeaton, County Limerick. One of the main objects of the school transport scheme is to provide a basic level of service for children who live long distances from...

Seanad: Architectural Heritage. (28 Sep 2005)

Síle de Valera: I thank Senator Coghlan for giving me the opportunity to address this matter on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche. The Minister enjoyed his visit to Muckross House and Killarney in July and I am aware of Senator Coghlan's interest in and commitment to Muckross House and the heritage of County Kerry. I am also interested in Muckross House...

Seanad: School Transport. (28 Sep 2005)

Síle de Valera: I welcome this opportunity to outline to the Seanad my position regarding school transport to the Salesian College, Pallaskenry and Scoil Mhuire, Askeaton, County Limerick. One of the main objects of the school transport scheme is to provide a basic level of service for children who live long distances from schools and who might otherwise experience difficulty in attending regularly. Some...

Seanad: School Transport. (28 Sep 2005)

Síle de Valera: The situation has changed since 2001. It has been clear since 2003 that change was coming about because of the positions of placements within schools. The central applications facility is now in place. The reason for having this service until now in Limerick was because the parents could not find places for their children within the Limerick area. This is no longer the case due to the central...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together. Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s and were determined following consultation with local educational interests. For planning purposes, the country was divided into geographic districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: To answer Deputy Gogarty's questions first, I am a little confused by his questions because I made it clear in the Joint Committee on Education and Science the week before last that I would not initiate a general review of the catchment boundaries. People may say that such boundaries were introduced in the 1960s when times were very different and that a change was needed but we must examine...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I disagree with the Deputy's views. He used the word "panic". There was certainly unnecessary reaction but I do not blame the parents for that. Much of it was politically whipped up because these false rumours——

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: This happens every year because it takes time for the eligible pupils to apply for, and receive, their tickets. There are eligible pupils who have yet to apply for their tickets. Until we know the exact position, the catchment areas, including the catchment boundary pupils, cannot be facilitated because they are concessionary pupils. The eligible pupils must be facilitated first. The only...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I am aware of the case referred to by the Deputy. A report on the circumstances of the case has been requested from Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department. When this report has been received, the Department will advise the Deputy of the position. In regard to the general administration of the school transport scheme, Bus Éireann issues tickets or...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I understand the Deputy's concern and am aware of the case. I look forward to hearing from Bus Éireann when its report is to hand. On the operational matter, there is a practical difficulty for drivers in many cases because they may not necessarily be able to identify all the children. Bus operators operate on a panel system of nominated drivers and are interchangeable. Therefore, they may...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I have been advised by Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, that listings of pupils who have been issued with tickets for the current term will be issued to bus operators in mid-October. Such an arrangement is not possible in the case of pupils who avail of scheduled public transport services. The issue of listings at an earlier date is not...

School Transport. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I referred to this matter in my reply to Priority Question No. 5. One of the reasons for the delay in the issuing of a list is that not all of those eligible for transport have applied and paid for that transport. The use of an early reply system could be one solution and this is under consideration. I am in discussion with Bus Éireann to examine these operational difficulties.

Crime Prevention. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform regrets that he cannot attend the Adjournment debate here this evening. The Minister is fully aware of the difficulties the illegal use of fireworks present each year around this time, the dangers they pose and the distress they cause to people, particularly the elderly. Conscious of this, last February, the Minister published a "Fireworks...

Crime Prevention. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: ——which aims to prevent and detect the organised importation of fireworks for sale, has been put in place by the Garda Commissioner. In this context, chief superintendents throughout the country have been instructed to introduce measures appropriate to their respective areas of responsibility with particular emphasis on Garda divisions in the Dublin Metropolitan region and in Border...

Adult Education. (11 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I propose to address the issues raised by Deputies Cowley and Flynn together. The Department of Education and Science was contacted by the chief executive officer of County Mayo Vocational Education Committee, Mr. Joseph Langan, last week on the matter. My officials requested that further details be submitted in writing. I am informed that no further communication has been received so far and...

School Transport. (18 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: I thank Deputy Jim O'Keeffe for raising the matter on the Adjournment as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the House my position regarding school transport in respect of pupils from the Dunbeacon area travelling to Schull community college in County Cork. By way of general comment, I should explain that one of the main objects of the school transport scheme is to provide a basic level...

School Transport. (18 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: At second level, the chief executive officers of the vocational education committees assist Bus Éireann by acting as transport liaison officers. Post-primary pupils who are eligible for school transport to the post-primary centre in their own catchment area may sometimes elect to attend a post-primary centre in a different catchment area to the one in which they reside. In such...

School Transport. (18 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: Such pupils are referred to as catchment boundary pupils. Pupils from the Dunbeacon area reside in the Bantry catchment area.

School Transport. (18 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: These pupils are fully eligible for transport to the Bantry post-primary centre. I must point out, however, that under the school transport scheme these pupils are not eligible for transport to Schull community college.

School Transport. (18 Oct 2005)

Síle de Valera: They may apply, in the normal way, for catchment boundary transport to that college. It may be of interest to the Deputy that I understand that approaches have been made by the transport liaison officer from Cork VEC to initiate discussion on a common catchment area between Bantry and Schull schools. These approaches have been rejected at local level.