Results 361-380 of 623 for speaker:Síle de Valera

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The youth affairs section of the Department of Education and Science provides grant-in-aid for a number of youth-work programmes and initiatives, designed principally to ensure the provision of non-formal educational opportunities for young people. Such initiatives include the special projects for youth scheme and the young people's facilities and services fund. The project referred to by the...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Department of Education and Science has been in touch with Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport service, regarding the bus pick-up point for the children referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. Bus Éireann has indicated in a recent report that the pick-up point has now been changed.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: Catchment boundaries have their origins in the establishment of free post-primary education in the late 1960s. For planning purposes, the country was divided into geographic districts, each with several primary schools feeding into a post-primary centre with one or more post-primary schools. It was intended that the defined districts would facilitate the orderly planning of school provision...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: A meeting on the McIver report, involving officials from the Department of Education and Science and representatives of the management — IVEA — and staff sides — TUI — was held at 10 p.m. on 11 October 2005. A further meeting was held on 24 November 2005 with representatives of the TUI and departmental officials. No future dates for meetings have been agreed between the sides. The...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Department of Education and Science has sanctioned a transport service for the child referred to by the Deputy. A further application was received last month by the school transport section in respect of the same child for transport to a different school. This application is being examined by the Department.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: I understand the Deputy is referring to press releases I issued on 6 March last. The press releases in question, which were important to update Deputies on developments in my area of responsibility, have been made available on the website of the Department of Education and Science as part of the normal duties of a member of staff of my office. No additional salary cost was, therefore, involved.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department funds a number of further education programmes through annual grants to the vocational education committees which provide the programmes, including adult literacy and back to education programmes. Grants amounting to €18.8 million were initially provided to VECs for adult literacy in 2005. When additional funding became available during the year, the provision was increased to...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach centre in this case has advised my Department that in the event the young person concerned is admitted as a trainee there, educational supports, equipment and training, as appropriate, will be provided in the centre in accordance with the learning aims and objectives of the programme.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the post-primary school transport scheme, post-primary routes are, in general, planned so that no eligible pupil will have more than 3.2 km, 2 miles, to travel to a pick-up point. My Department understands from the transport liaison officer for County Kilkenny that the pupil referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied resides less than 3.2 km, 2 miles, from the current pick-up...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department is reviewing the closed school rule. This will involve consultation with relevant interested parties, having regard to other urgent priorities within the school transport area.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department allocates funding to schools to enable them to employ escorts on school transport services. These escorts are specifically engaged to cater for children with special educational needs whose care requirements are such as to necessitate continuous support. Over 600 escorts are employed. These escorts provide a very valuable service for children with special needs who require...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (9 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of my Department's post-primary school transport scheme, a pupil is eligible for transport if he or she resides 4.8 km or more from his or her local post-primary education centre, that is, the centre serving the catchment area in which he or she lives. The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the...

Written Answers — Traveller Education: Traveller Education (8 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: I expect to receive shortly a report on the recommendations for a five year traveller education strategy. This report spans the full spectrum of lifelong learning from pre-school to adult and further education. It also emphasises the important role that Traveller parents have in their own education and that of their children. The report is in the final stages of preparation. Inclusion is a...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The vocational training opportunities scheme, VTOS, provides full-time second-chance education and training opportunities for unemployed adults who are in receipt of specified social welfare payments for at least six months. The scheme is funded by my Department and operated through the 33 vocational education committees, VECs. In order to be eligible for a VTOS course, a person must be at...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department has been requested to provide a report on the case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. When the report has been received, my Department will be in a position to consider the matter further.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: Bus Éireann, which organises the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, has been requested to provide a report on the case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. When this report has been received and considered, my Department will be in a position to advise the Deputy of the position.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The parents of the children in question should apply for school transport to the transport liaison officer for County Wicklow at the offices of the local vocational educational committee. A decision can then be conveyed to those involved.

Written Answers — Post Leaving Certificate Courses: Post Leaving Certificate Courses (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The number of post leaving certificate places approved for the 2005-06 academic year is up by more than 1,600 on the 2004-05 level. The number of approved places in the sector now stands at 30,188. All second level schools have again been invited to make application to the Department for approval of PLC courses and places for next year, that is, 2006-07. The application process has not been...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The group in question was notified by my Department by letter on 27 January that it had been approved for funding under the back to education initiative. Payment in respect of the budget allocation will issue shortly.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (7 Mar 2006)

Síle de Valera: The number of children availing of school transport services in a school year varies from time to time. Accordingly, the following figures are averages of pupils availing of the service within the years mentioned. Between 8,000 and 9,000 children with special needs are currently availing of the transport service and these are included in the overall figures. Year Expenditure Pupils...