Results 61-80 of 623 for speaker:Síle de Valera

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Nov 2006)

Síle de Valera: Reviews of specific catchment boundaries may be carried out where, for example, a new post-primary school is established in an area where previously there was none or, conversely, where a "sole provider" school closes due to declining enrolment. The Area Development Planning Initiative, involving an extensive consultative process carried out by the Commission on School Accommodation, will...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Nov 2006)

Síle de Valera: Operational arrangements for the school transport service are a matter for Bus Éireann. I have requested them to reply to the Deputy directly in relation to this case.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (1 Nov 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of the primary school transport scheme a pupil is eligible for transport if s/he resides 3.2 kilometres or more from the nearest primary school. Pupils residing less than 3.2 kilometres from their nearest school may be offered transport on a concessionary fare-paying basis subject to spare seats being available and provided that no additional cost is involved. Bus Éireann,...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach Programme is an Inter-Departmental initiative which provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme funded by my Department is delivered in out of school centres and is managed by...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach Programme is an Inter-Departmental initiative which provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme funded by my Department is delivered in out of school centres and is managed by...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Vocational Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) provides full-time second chance education and training opportunities for unemployed adults who are at least 21 years of age and 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 Educational Committees (VECs). Students on VTOS are offered a wide...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is delivered locally by Vocational Education Committees (VECs) with funding from my Department, which authorises a given number of VTOS places to be filled annually by each VEC. Co. Kildare VEC has an allocation of 270 VTOS places for the academic year 2006/7. I can confirm that a request for an additional 20 VTOS places was received from...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The pupil to whom the Deputy refers is eligible for transport to the school referred to in the details supplied. My Department understands that there is not a sufficient number of pupils offering for school transport from the distinct locality in question to set up a dedicated service. However, Bus Éireann which operates the School Transport Services on behalf of my Department, has advised...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Funds for Adult and Community Education services, including adult literacy, are provided by my Department to the Vocational Education Committees. The disbursement of these funds is a matter for each VEC, which, subject to its budget, decides the nature of the Adult and Community Education service to be provided in its area and the manner in which the funds should be spent. Funding for English...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (26 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: VTOS students may be entitled to a travel allowance if they reside more than 3 miles from a centre. The rates of the travel and meal allowance are equivalent to those paid to participants on FÁS training courses. They are increased periodically in line with increases in FÁS rates; the current rates outlined below are in operation since 2002. 3-5 miles €4.60, 5-10 miles €11.90, 10-20...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The family of the pupil referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy submitted documentation to my Department in the belief that they were entitled to a grant. A claim for a grant is generally not considered by my Department until an assessment has been made of the pupil's eligibility for school transport. This assessment can only be made on receipt of the relevant background information...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 178 together. Government commitment to the PLC sector, by reference to the resources applied in teachers' pay, non-pay running costs, student support and certification costs, is very significant. We have increased the number of PLC places by 60% since 1996/97. Indeed, the number of PLC places approved for 2005/2006 is up by more than 1,600 on the...

Written Answers — Youthreach Programme: Youthreach Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The Youthreach Programme is an Inter-Departmental initiative which provides two years integrated education, training and work experience to young people aged 15-20 years who are at least six months in the labour market and who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training. The programme funded by my Department is delivered in out of school centres and is managed by...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The 2006 financial provision for my Department's Youth Affairs Section is €45.037m. This represents a 9.8% increase over the 2005 allocation. In addition, I am also proposing to make a further €2m from the Dormant Accounts Fund available to local youth clubs and groups on a one-off basis for small scale equipment grants over the coming months. My focus of financial allocations in 2006 is...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The level of funding for the Youth Affairs Section of my Department and for the youth work sector has increased significantly over the past five years. Funding allocations to the sector from 2002-2006 are as follows: 2002: €26.066m 2003: €27.499m 2004: €35.545m 2005: €41.004m 2006: €45,037m. In addition, I am proposing to make a further €2m from the Dormant Accounts Fund...

Written Answers — Adult Education: Adult Education (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 619 together. The National Adult Learning Council was formed in March 2002 on an ad hoc basis with the intention that it would be established as a statutory body under Section 54 of the Education Act 1998. Following the formation of the ad-hoc Council, concerns emerged that the functions envisaged for it were too wide-ranging and were not sufficiently...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Bus Éireann has advised that all of its buses, and the majority of contractors' buses, operating as part of the School Transport Schemes have been fitted with safety belts. The remainder are on schedule to be fitted with safety belts by the target date of December, 2006. This is in accordance with the package of measures to enhance the safety of school transport operations announced by...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested Bus Éireann to submit a report on the service available to the pupils referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. When this report is received and reviewed my Department will notify the parents of the pupils concerned.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of my Department's Post-Primary School Transport Scheme, a pupil is eligible for school transport if s/he resides 4.8 kilometres or more from the post-primary centre in the catchment area in which s/he resides. The scheme is not designed to facilitate parents who choose to send their children to a post-primary centre outside of the catchment area in which they reside. However,...

Written Answers — Education Schemes: Education Schemes (24 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Provision was made in the National Development Plan 2000-2006 through the Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme for funding for Lifelong Learning — Back to Education Initiative. The Back to Education Initiative provides new opportunities for learning through the provision of flexible part-time and full-time programmes that consolidate and build on existing...