Results 2,441-2,460 of 9,252 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Recent Arson Attacks: Statements (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Arson is an extremely serious criminal offence. Under section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act 1991, any person convicted of arson on indictment can face a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The reason we impose such a serious sentence upon those convicted of arson is because we recognise the danger associated with it. It is remarkable and extremely lucky that,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank our guests for coming before the committee. I wish to begin with Mr. Brownlee. His statement refers to the unprecedented growth in further education and training in Ireland, in the South. Is there a similar growth in Northern Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is there any reason we do not see the trend replicated in Northern Ireland or is it simply that credit is deserved in the South because of the efforts we have made to expand it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes. If we are trying to improve cross-Border co-operation in the area of further education and training, what political steps should Government or the Oireachtas take to try to facilitate that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is there any issue in respect of co-operation between the two political jurisdictions on the island? Is there any benefit in trying to get the North-South Ministerial Council to expressly deal with third-level education? Is that something that is the ambition of the Government?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: That is very interesting. Maybe formalising that could politicise and undermine it to a certain extent. Mr. McKenna is saying that, notwithstanding the absence of formal structures within the North-South Ministerial Council, there is ongoing collaboration and co-operation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Ms Duffy have any views on that from a HEA perspective?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: That appears to be what is currently happening to a certain extent. We are not getting the students from Northern Ireland we did in previous decades.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: One of the factors that appears to deter students from Northern Ireland from applying to third-level institutions in Ireland is the delay in the announcement of leaving certificate results and the CAO process. Is that a significant factor in deterring students from Northern Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is more attractive to have an offer that has been made already. Does anybody else have a view on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The real difference between the two systems is that in Northern Ireland a student will get a conditional acceptance. No matter how much we expedite the process in respect of the CAO and leaving certificate results, we will never be able to get it back to before June.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Do applicants get that early in the year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank everyone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank our guests for coming before the committee. It is interesting legislation and I am sure it was difficult to draft. I would like to clarify several areas in my own mind. The purpose of the legislation is to give statutory power to the Central Bank to impose conditions on certain entities to ensure there is access to cash at ATMs. Is that a fair assessment of it in broad terms?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Department is satisfied that no such statutory powers are currently held by the Central Bank that would enable it to undertake this task and new legislation is needed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Regarding the purpose of the legislation, I think it has identified four entities on which the Central Bank may be able to impose conditions. The first of these is designated entities under head 9. Am I correct in saying these are exclusively credit institutions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Okay. The definition of a "designated entity" is set out in head 9.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Access to Cash Bill 2024: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am just trying to get this clear in my own mind because it is an interesting piece of legislation. Part 2, to a large extent, in heads 6 to 10, deals with designated entities, while Part 3 deals with the CIT companies and ATM deployers. Is that correct?