Results 101-120 of 623 for speaker:Síle de Valera

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: The 2006 financial provision for my Department's Youth Affairs Section is €45.037m. In addition, my Department is also proposing to make a further €2m from the Dormant Accounts Fund available to local youth clubs and groups on a once off basis for small scale equipment grants. The focus of financial allocations by my Department's Youth Affairs Section in 2006 is on the consolidation of...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more, and are attending, their nearest Gaelscoil, as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. The pupils referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, do not meet these eligibility criteria.

Written Answers — Educational Projects: Educational Projects (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Funds for Adult and Community Education services 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. It is open to the group to submit an...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (17 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 — Adult Education: Adult Education (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department is committed to reskilling and upskilling adults and does this through the provision of a comprehensive Further Education suite of programmes at FETAC Level 1 to 6. Such programmes are predominantly delivered through the thirty three VEC's. In addition programmes are delivered by Secondary, and Community and Comprehensive schools and through community education. With regard to...

Written Answers — Third Level Grants: Third Level Grants (17 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department extended the provision of maintenance grants to PLC students with effect from September 1998. Almost 8,000 students attending PLC courses in 2005 received maintenance grants amounting to a total of €23 million in direct support. There is no provision for payment of fees under the maintenance grants scheme for students attending PLC courses as generally fees for PLC courses...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (12 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department provides funding to VECs to assist towards the child care expenses of participants in certain further education programmes, one of which is the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS). The other programmes are Youthreach and Senior Traveller Training. The grant is intended as a contribution to costs and the amount of grant that each VEC receives is determined by...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (12 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested an updated report from Bus Éireann regarding the background to the case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (12 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under the terms of my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme pupils who reside 3.2 kilometres or more, and are attending, their nearest suitable national school, as determined by my Department, are eligible for free school transport. The pupil referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, does not meet these eligibility criteria.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: One of the main objectives of the School Transport Scheme is to provide a basic level of service for children who live long distances from school and who might otherwise experience difficulty in attending regularly. In general primary school transport routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible pupil will have more than 2.4 kilometres to travel to a pick up point. The school...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department is investigating the background to this matter.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department's policy is that children who meet the eligibility criteria for special class/special school placement can be considered for school transport or a grant towards the cost of transport in certain circumstances. On the basis of the information available to my Department's school transport section, the pupil referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy does not qualify for a grant.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: My Department has requested an updated report from Bus Éireann on the case referred to by the Deputy in the details supplied. My Department will contact the families concerned when this report is received and examined.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (11 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Under my Department's Primary School Transport Scheme a pupil is eligible for school transport if he or she resides 3.2 kilometres or more, and is attending his or her nearest suitable national school as determined by my Department. However, a pupil residing in a closed school area, such as the pupil referred to in the details supplied, may be deemed eligible for transport to the school of...

Written Answers — Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme: Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (10 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 500 together. 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 (156 days) and are over 21 years of age. The Scheme is funded by my Department and operated through the 33...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (10 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: In general a school transport service is organised to ensure the maximum travel and waiting time does not exceed 2.5 hours. The school transport service referred to by the Deputy, in the details supplied, is operating within the guidelines of the school transport scheme. The school bus operates a double trip in the mornings to accommodate the number of pupils offering for transport.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (10 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 seat belts. The remainder are on schedule to be fitted with seat 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 Minister...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (10 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: Bus Éireann, which operates school transport services on my Department's behalf, has advised that an advertisement was placed in the local newspaper requesting tenders for transport services for the routes referred to by the Deputy in the details provided. Bus Éireann has also informed my Department that a tender was received too late for consideration from the person to whom the Deputy refers.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (10 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: In view of the fact that the student to whom the Deputy refers applied after the deadline date for receipt of applications, no seat is currently available on the relevant service. The situation will be monitored to see if a spare seat becomes available during the current school term.

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (10 Oct 2006)

Síle de Valera: In general, larger buses tend to be older than minibuses, and contractors are being encouraged to replace these buses with more modern buses equipped with manufacturer fitted seat belts, or with buses fitted with seat belt anchorage points by the vehicle manufacturer to which type approved belts have been subsequently installed. The fittings must conform to the standards contained in the...