Results 621-640 of 1,759 for speaker:Ciarán Cannon in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: There was no decision or agreement in relation to a return to risk element as a basis for the payment to Bus Éireann for school transport services.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Availability (15 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy will be aware that children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may, following an application process for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. Grants are only considered for the school year for which an application for school transport is received. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youthreach Programme Issues (15 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: There are almost 6,000 Youthreach places available nationwide funded by my Department through SOLAS. The number of places has remained at its current level since 2007. Almost 3,700 of these places are provided in just over 100 Youthreach centres operated by Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The remainder are provided in some 30 Community Training Centres that are currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (10 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 55 together. The report did not recommend that the Department negotiate a reduction in Bus Éireann charges. The arrangements for the payments to Bus Éireann in respect of school transport services are set out in the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements. There are two elements to these arrangements: Direct costs are paid as incurred by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (10 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am not aware of the answer referred to by the Deputy. My Department will fully consider any request for information from the EU Commission upon receipt of a request.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (10 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The European Commission commenced an investigation with regard to State aid to Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus in 2007. The State's response was coordinated by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and my Department supplied any information to that Department as required by the Commission. Neither the FGS report, nor information relating to, or contained in the report, was sought...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (10 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The report was made available to the Department of Finance on 16th October 2009. The specific confidentiality agreement was not referred to, but the Department of Finance was advised that the report contained commercially sensitive material and was being made available solely for the use of that Department. The confidentiality agreement referred to by the Deputy was put in place prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Administration (10 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The management of a SOLAS Training Centre is a day to day operational matter for SOLAS as provided for in the Further Education and Training Act 2013. I understand that SIPTU has written to SOLAS regarding working conditions in the SOLAS Training Centre in Limerick and that a meeting is due to take place shortly between SOLAS management and SIPTU to discuss these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Skills Development (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Ireland's performance in the programme for the international assessment of adult competencies (PIAAC) survey was mixed. While I am encouraged that progress is being made on the adult literacy front, with a four percentage point drop in the proportion of Irish adults scoring at or below level one, the results of the PIAAC survey has reinforced my view that we need to work hard on core skills....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together. The terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme are available on my Department and Bus Éireann websites. Included in the terms of the scheme are guidelines for travel and waiting times for children attending primary or post primary schools. Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 71 and 72 together. Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the procurement of contractors to provide transport services under the School Transport Scheme. Bus Éireann is also responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 73 together. The terms of my Department's School Transport Schemes are available on my Department and Bus Éireann websites. For school bus operating purposes a "distinct locality" is a cluster of eligible children who reside in the same general area, in the same general direction from the school attended, as determined by Bus Éireann taking...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The FGS report assessed a range of options for alternative methods for the calculation of the transport management charge in place of the current 13% approach. None of the recommendations of the report was implemented.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: The Deputy's question is somewhat unclear. I assume the Deputy is referring to the amount of the transport management charge. For completeness, the amount of this charge in respect of the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 is as follows: Some €18.465m (2008), €18.715m (2009), €18.2m (2010), €16.7m (2011), €15m (2012) and €15m (2013). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I am advised by Bus Éireann that zero based accounting methods are not used in the administration of school transport.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (9 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I have no plans to arrange the measures as described in the Deputy's question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I understand from SOLAS that following the closure of a Local Training Initiative in 2012, Statutory Redundancy was paid to the persons involved. Local Training Initiatives are funded through SOLAS and managed and operated by local groups. The staff are employed by these groups and my Department does not have a direct role in relation to staff and employment issues relating to these bodies....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together. The payment of an additional training allowance of €31.80 per week for the long term unemployed was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in FÁS (now SOLAS) training courses. The payment of this allowance was later extended to those persons in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Administration (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: Bus Éireann, which operates the school transport scheme on behalf of my Department, is responsible for the procurement of contractors to provide transport services under the School Transport Scheme. I am satisfied with the current tendering process given that Bus Éireann is obliged to tender all works, goods and services in line with the European Directives on public procurement. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Funding (8 Apr 2014)

Ciarán Cannon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together. The payment of an additional training allowance of €20 per week for the long term unemployed was introduced during a period of high employment levels as an incentive for the long term unemployed to participate in FÁS (now SOLAS), Youthreach and VTOS training and education courses. In the present economic situation this...