Results 801-820 of 10,569 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department does not hold the specific data requested by the Deputy, however in 2023 there was a significant increase generally in the proportion of students receiving a first preference offer, i.e., 59% of Level 8 offers were for first preference courses, and 85% were for a first, second or third preference course. This was an increase of 5% and 3% respectively from 2022. As the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In Ireland, academic freedom, including matters related to research funding, is strongly protected by legislation, such as the Technological Universities Act 2018 and the Universities Act 1997. The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 (HEAA 2022) further supports this by including provisions to:Advance equality of opportunity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.Respect the academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Expansion of provision of Veterinary Medicine programmes is a key priority for Government. However, these programmes are complex to deliver and require appropriate equipment, laboratory facilities, and appropriately qualified academic staff, to meet the requirements of the regulator. As you are aware, the HEA Expression of Interest process brought to Government in June last year identified a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I was delighted to launch the new Part Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses recently, which came into effect from September 1st, 2024. This is the first time, under the Student Support Act, that fee support will be available for students studying part-time. Fee support will be provided to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. I have arranged for officials from my Department to forward the information directly to the Deputy's office once it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The annual rates of maintenance grant for undergraduate and postgraduate students, maximum tuition fee grant rates for undergraduate students, postgraduate fee grant rates, student contribution grant rates for undergraduate students and income limits for the student contribution grant for the 2024/25 academic year are all listed below. Table 1 Annual rates of maintenance grant for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Irish Government is dedicated to enhancing the higher education system by providing funding through Springboard+ and Human Capital Initiative (HCI). The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is the agency overseeing these initiatives on behalf of my Department. These initiatives are designed to address critical skill shortages in the economy and aim to bridge skill gaps by offering targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is a population of 27,548 learners in our apprenticeship system at 31stAugust 2024. This is an 8.4% increase on the same period in 2023. Currently there are 77 apprenticeship programmes available in Ireland between NFQ level 5 and 10. The table at the link below shows the numbers enrolled on each programme as at August 2024. It should be noted that Apprenticeship is demand driven in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will be aware that over the course of 2023, Cavan Monaghan ETB (CMETB) were supported by SOLAS in developing their Preliminary Business Case (PBC) proposal for Cavan town under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund. The development of a robust PBC is fundamental to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. The proposal put forward by CMETB is one of twelve...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: This Government's ambition to increase the number of persons taking up apprenticeships is reflected in my Department's Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 and the Public Service Apprentice Plan which seeks to significantly increase the footprint of apprenticeship within both the public service and the private sector, while ensuring that apprenticeships are open and accessible and seen as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, Technological Universities Act 2018, and Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 -2006. Under this legislation HEIs are academically independent and entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes including in relation to teaching, learning and assessment. As such,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will be aware that the Government approved reductions of up to €1,000 in the student contribution payable by free fees eligible undergraduate students for academic years 2022/23 and 2023/24. These once-off measures formed part of a wider cost of living support programme in Budgets 2023 and 2024. Concomitantly with the student contribution reductions applied under Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2589 and 2655 together. The number of craft apprentices waiting over 6 months for phase 2 off-the-job training at the end of June 2024 has been provided. Separate breakdowns have been provided by apprenticeship programme and by the Educational Training Board (ETB) that apprentices are registered with. Craft apprenticeship are national programmes, and while...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department is aware of the issue raised by the Deputy and is in ongoing engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the matter as part of the 2025 Estimates process. It would not be appropriate for me to pre-empt the outcome of those engagements in advance of the Budget 2025 announcement.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for SUSI to determine. The assessment of means under the Student Grant Scheme is carried out by SUSI and is based on reckonable income, which is gross income from all sources in the previous financial year, before the deduction of income tax or the universal social charge. For the 2024/25 academic year,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department is continuing to oversee the implementation of a plan put in place by the National Apprenticeship Office to significantly increase apprenticeship capacity and respond to rising Craft Apprenticeship registrations. At Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), apprenticeship funding rose from €17.1 million in 2023 to €17.9 million in 2024. Two workshops, one...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Apprenticeship registrations have seen a substantial growth in recent years, demonstrating the rising popularity of apprenticeship with employers and apprentices alike. There are now 75 national apprenticeship programmes and a total population of over 27,000 apprentices. Craft apprenticeship registrations have grown by 25% since 2019, supporting a buoyant construction sector and delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy is aware, graduate entry medicine (GEM) is a pathway for degree holders who want to pursue a medical career on an accelerated four year programme. Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding. They are also not eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme as they do not meet the progression...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am very much aware that the rising cost of living is impacting students, and my Department has ensured that measures to support students have formed a core part of the Government's overall response to cost of living issues. Budget 2023 and Budget 2024 has had the effect of reducing the cost of higher education for the majority of students. For the second year in a row, as a cost of living...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department is running a number of promotional activities this year to encourage more young people to consider a career in construction, and to increase the number of people working in the sector. These include a peer-to-peer social media campaign, documentary aimed at second-level students dispelling myths around what a career in construction is like, another documentary on Modern Methods...