Results 1,481-1,500 of 9,252 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (23 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 183. To ask the Minister for Health to list the name and location of all primary care clinics that have opened since this Government took office; and the capital and current costs associated with each. [43310/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (23 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 184. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of extending free GP care to all those aged 12 years and under, and to all those aged 15 years and under. [43311/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Insurance Coverage (23 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: 197. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons availing of private health insurance, by age group (details supplied). [43416/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I would have thought the most significant cost-of-living challenge that their members face is the cost of rent for those who are not living at home. To what extent does that vary based on USI membership around the country? Is it exclusively a Dublin and Cork issue or does it go farther than that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The solution is obviously that we need to produce more accommodation so that hopefully, the increase in supply will reduce prices. Is it the USI’s view that further efforts should be made by Government to establish more student accommodation on campus?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: UCC Students’ Union was here last week and presented a very well put together cost-of-living report. It was academically reviewed and done very professionally. One thing that struck me is there was an academic – I apologise as I forget his name – who was from the business department who talked about the numbers of students now who must work in order to meet the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Department of further education is a new Department. It just came into existence during the course of this Dáil term. What is USI’s experience of engagement with the Department? Is it good? Should USI have more engagement with it? Is it listening to USI’s concerns?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: One of the issues this committee has frequently looked at is the difficulty of PhD students and the limited resources available to them. There was an announcement in the budget that the annual stipend available to PhD students would be €25,000. I presume the witnesses welcome that. What is their assessment of how that is going to help PhD students? Do they think it is insufficient?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Rent has been identified as the biggest cost-of-living challenge. What are the other cost-of-living challenges that we might not be aware of. Obviously, we are aware of cost-of-living issues as they affect the general population, but what are the other ones Mr. Clifford thinks we should be informed about that affect USI members?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: In terms of the hidden costs for certain degrees, is it the creative courses that have more costs than one would expect or do they affect other disciplines also?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome members of the Department before the committee this afternoon. In order for us to respond adequately to the financial challenges that are faced by students, we need to know how many of them are being forced out of third level as a result of financial pressures. Can Mr. Moynes tell us if there are any statistics on that or any way we can get that information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: If a student drops out, is there any follow-up with them? What happens with regard to the Department’s knowledge of their disappearance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Moynes believe it would be beneficial if third level institutions were to automatically follow up with students who drop out? I am conscious they may not get a response but if we are trying to get this information, we need to look at third level institutions following up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The biggest financial challenge that students face and we have just discussed this with the USI, is the cost of accommodation, particularly for students who are not living at home. What is the Department doing to try to encourage third level institutions to consider the construction of accommodation on campus? Also, what can the Department do to ensure that such accommodation as is put on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is USI concerned about the fact that the prices at which some of the student accommodation that has been established are set are designed for conferences more than for the student? This is a concern of, I think, UCD students.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Dunican.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Dunican for that answer. There are about nine higher education institutions that offer courses through the CAO which are not approved for SUSI grants. Are there any signs that discrepancy is going to be addressed? How does Mr. Moynes think that is going to progress?