Results 441-460 of 10,569 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy may be aware, the objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where household income is below a certain threshold. For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents/legal guardian or as independent mature students. A candidate's reckonable income for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy may be aware that for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Student Grant Scheme is a statutory scheme. As with any statutory scheme, a core principle of the Student Grant Scheme is that there is consistency of approach and an equitable treatment for applicants. All applications are therefore assessed nationally with reference to the terms and conditions of the Scheme, which are applied impartially to all applicants. SUSI has no discretion...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In my Department, staff figures are recorded on a quarterly basis. The number of staff vacancies for Quarter 3 (up to the end of September) in 2023 was 34 and for Quarter 3 in 2024 was 43. The staff vacancies by grades for Quarter 3 in 2023 and Quarter 3 in 2024 are set out in the following tables: Q3 2023 Principal Officer 1 Assistant Principal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes including for the motor mechanic programme, the sectoral gross wage norms are either agreed within the relevant sector through collective bargaining agreements, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court. Periods of off-the-job training are funded from the National Training Fund with payments made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. An official from my Department has advised that the student outlined by the Deputy was issued a letter by SUSI on 25 October 2024 requesting additional documentation. On receipt of the requested...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The number of staff from my Department who were on a career break in 2023 and 2024, is set out in the below table. 2023 Principal Officer 1 Administrative Officer 2 Executive Officer 0.5 2024 Principal Officer 1 HIgher Executive Officer 1 Administrative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Officials from my Department will contact the Deputy for further information in respect of the question posed and will revert to the Deputy directly upon receipt of this further information.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. An official from my Department has advised that the student outlined by the Deputy was awarded the €500 student contribution grant by the awarding authority, SUSI, for the 2024/2025 academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. In relation to supports available for students studying abroad, the Student Grant Scheme provides...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department, in line with other government departments, requires Civil Servants to comply with Sections 31-34 of the Circular 4/2013, when returning from a Career Break. In particular, Section 31, which states that ‘in order to secure an offer of work, the civil servant must indicate at least two months before the end of his/her career break that s/he wishes to return to work....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Museum Projects (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Since its establishment in 2021, my Department has had no role in this matter. My Department has not provided funding for the development of a children’s science museum and does not have resources assigned to support it. Neither has my Department engaged with the OPW in respect of the project. Officials of my Department have reviewed the paper and electronic files available to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost-of-living. These cost-of-living measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee payable by higher education students that are eligible for the Free Fees Initiative (FFI). Under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) the State provides funding, exclusive of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Budget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost of living. These cost-of-living measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for higher education students who are eligible for Free Fees. Under the progression criteria of the Free Fees scheme, it is not possible for a student to avail of free fees where they are pursuing a second...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Equipment (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Attached for the Deputy's information is a table detailing my Department's total expenditure on mobile phones services for departmental staff in 2024. Prior to January 2024, mobile services contracts and expenditure for DFHERIS officials were managed and met by the Department of Education on a shared services basis under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Responsibility for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies (5 Nov 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have received a draft version of the 2023 Annual Report from the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The HEA has informed me that the 2023 Annual Report is currently being translated into Irish and going through final design stages. It is expected that this work will be completed within the next few weeks. The HEA will send me a copy of the final 2023 Annual Report once it becomes...