Results 561-580 of 1,759 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Management (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: In accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the appointment of a Board of Management of a school is a matter for the relevant school patron. Under the provisions of this Act, where a patron determines that the appointment of a board is not practicable, or where the patron, with the consent of the Minister, has dissolved a board of management, the patron may appoint a manager...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Closures (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 40, 47 and 49 together. The Minister has previously made clear on a number of occasions that the final phase of the Budget 2012 measure in relation to small schools will not be suspended. Flexibility was introduced to the staffing appeals process for the small schools affected by the budget measure to enable them to retain their existing staffing level if...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Students (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The two Departments agreed a shared policy towards unaccompanied non-EEA (European Economic Area) students studying in Irish schools which was articulated in the Review of the Student Immigration Regime published in 2010 by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS). This allowed a concession whereby such students were only permitted to attend fee-paying schools. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Minister is very conscious that costs arise for families as children progress through school. He has taken a number of initiatives to reduce the burden on families. He met with the Irish Educational Publishers' Association and impressed on them the need to limit the cost of textbooks and avoid a position where textbooks are altered unnecessarily. The Association agreed a voluntary Code...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Reform (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Following a challenging first year of operation in 2012, SUSI improved its performance in 2013. An external review of SUSI's business processes was undertaken by Accenture in early 2013 to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year. Many of the recommendations by the review have now been implemented. SUSI made significant improvements to its systems and procedures to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Expenditure supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs was some €1.3bn in 2013, which represents approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department. These resources have been protected, or in some areas have been increased in 2014, despite the ongoing severe financial position and a requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of areas. This year provision is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Students (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 45 and 50 together. The Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Justice and Equality have established a Task Force to urgently examine the issues raised by the closure of a number of private colleges. The Task Force is chaired by the two Departments and including representatives from QQI, Enterprise Ireland and City of Dublin Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 38 together. In Budget 2013 funding of €5million for three years was provided to support the establishment of book rental schemes in primary schools that did not operate such schemes. DEIS schools will receive €150 per child and non-DEIS schools will receive €100 per child in seed capital over the next two years to establish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Those elements of the DEIS programme being managed by the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) transferred to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in May 2011. This included responsibility for the integrated services of Home School Community Liaison Scheme, the School Completion Programme as well as the statutory Educational Welfare Service. On 1st January, 2014 the NEWB was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am aware of the proposal by the school referred to by the Deputy in April 2014 to change its status to a fully vertical boy's school i.e. junior infants to 6th class. However no formal proposal has been made to my Department. The decision making authority for a change in school type belongs to the Patron of a school, subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Placement (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am aware of the decision by the authorities of the school concerned to advise parents of the availability of a 7th stream of junior infant places. It is important that school size is monitored and that a balance is preserved among all schools in catchment areas to ensure that one school is not expanding at the expense of the viability of another school. This may sometimes result in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: As the Deputy is aware, last September, I published a draft General Scheme for an Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, 2013 as well as draft regulations for discussion ahead of enacting legislation. I have stated that my aim in bringing forward legislative proposals in relation to school admission is to improve the admissions process and to ensure that the way schools decide on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Expenditure (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Expenditure supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs was some €1.3bn in 2013, which represents approximately 15% of the entire budget of my Department. These resources have been protected, or in some areas have been increased in 2014, despite the ongoing severe financial position and a requirement to make expenditure savings across a range of areas. Any decisions on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I wish to advise the Deputy that a significant number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have been commenced, principally those establishing the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and those promoting an inclusive approach to the education of children with special educational needs. In light of the very difficult economic situation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (29 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand that the person referred to by the Deputy will be completing his education at the school which he currently attends at the end of this school year. As I further understand the person in question will thereafter attend a facility which caters for adults, the provision of school transport does not arise.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Annual Student Contribution is levied on apprentices and students attending Institutes of Technology. This contribution has been levied by Institutes of Technology in respect of apprentices since 2004, with FÁS/SOLAS paying 70% of the contribution and apprentices themselves paying the remainder. As part of Budget 2014, SOLAS will cease making this payment to the Institutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (28 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs under Department of Education and Skills' criteria. Bus Éireann has advised my Department that the child in question was availing of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health and Safety (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: This is a day to day operational matter for SOLAS who manage the Safepass programme. I am informed by SOLAS that Mandatory Safety Awareness Training is provided for under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 and in particular schedule 4 provides that to obtain a valid safety awareness card it is a requirement to successfully complete the SOLAS Safe Pass...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: From the commencement of the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for post primary pupils is determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest post-primary education centre having regard to ethos and language. Pupils who were eligible for school transport prior to the introduction of the above change retain their transport eligibility for the duration of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (27 May 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Year Some 6,000 routes annually; Number of Vehicles (The majority of mainstream vehicles and some SEN vehicles operate 2 or more routes) Total number of children transported (including concessionary) *Primary: Cost per child week (based on eligible only including SEN pupils) € *Post Primary: Cost per...