Results 1-20 of 9,417 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (15 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has not awarded any publicly funded contracts to the company referenced by the Deputy at any time since the creation of the Department in 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (15 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department was established in 2020 and its IT services are provided on a shared services basis with the Department of Education under an agreed Memorandum of Understanding. To date, my Department has not incurred any expenditure related to capital investments in its IT or data infrastructure.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy may be aware, the main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to 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. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of the institution. I would suggest that students contact their higher education institutions and students' union directly if they wish to raise any concerns in this respect.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Promoting the importance of lifelong learning has been a key focus for my Department which has been demonstrated in the approach we have been taking since its establishment three years ago, putting skills at the centre of policy development, raising awareness of the importance of skills, and creating and highlighting multiple re-skilling and upskilling initiatives and learning opportunities...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Green Skills are essential for meeting the ambitious climate targets set out by the Government in the Climate Action Plan and for the Green Transition. These range from the development of transferable green skills for life, through specific skills requirements for emerging green sectors of the economy including offshore wind and other renewable energy initiatives, electric vehicles and Near...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science serves as the national coordinator and national assistance centre for Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. This Directive, which has been transposed into Irish law by S.I. No. 8 of 2017, provides the main legal framework to facilitate the mutual recognition of professional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has been made aware that the college referred to by the Deputy will close and cease to deliver degree level programmes accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) with effect from September 2024. In preparation for the forthcoming closure the college has engaged with QQI’s statutory Protection of Enrolled Learners (PEL) process. The PEL process ensures that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is no conclusive reported data to support that rationale for students choosing college courses but I am conscious that accommodation is a significant factor for students who need to reside away from home to access higher education. The challenge for students in accessing appropriate student accommodation is an issue which Government and I are acutely aware and actively pursuing....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 676, 677 and 678 together. Students, staff and researchers of higher education institutions have the right and freedom to protest in a peaceful manner once it is in accordance with the rule of law. As autonomous bodies, higher education institutions are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of their institutions, this includes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department acts as the National Authority for the Erasmus Programme. The Erasmus Programme is administered by two national agencies - Léargas and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) which draw down their funding directly from the European Commission. The tables below set out the requested data in tabular form from the two aegis bodies Léargas and the HEA. Please note, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Employment Rights (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The information in respect of aegis bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out below, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly with his query. Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Education and Training Boards (ETBs) manage and deliver a wide range of education services through various types of educational institutions or ‘ETB centres’, including Community National Schools, Post-Primary Schools, Further Education (FE) colleges, and a range of adult and further education centres. ETBs serve as the legal entities or statutory education authorities; they do...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department works with a Government procured media buying agency to ensure we get the best reach and value for money for our information campaigns. The Department's Advertising spend from 2019 to 2023 is detailed in the table at the link, with a breakdown for local and national print included.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (14 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The attached table sets out apprentice registration by ETB for each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023. As requested the numbers are split between Craft and Consortia. A total apprentice registration is also provided, along with an annual total for each of the years for convenience. A key for each ETB code can be found on page 2 of the attachment at the link.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy may be aware, the main support available to assist students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved full-time course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I can confirm that Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (both Non-Contributory & Contributory) Pensions are reckonable income under the Student Grant Scheme 2024 and are therefore not listed as income disregards under the scheme. The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant is a once-off payment to widows, widowers or surviving civil partners with...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides funding to higher and further education institutions to assist them in offering supports and services to eligible students with disabilities. The initial decision around disclosure about the need for support rests with the individual. The number of students in the category of blind/vision impaired included in the most recent Resource...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Energy Conservation (8 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Near Zero Energy Building/ Retrofit training is an important step in meeting the Government’s ambitious target to retrofit 500,000 homes to BER B2 standards by 2030 as set out in the National Retrofit Plan. The development of a national suite of NZEB Centres of Excellence is key to providing workers with the skills and knowledge required to reach this goal. Six centres are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pay (8 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: University College Cork (UCC) has confirmed that it is implementing the 2.25% pay increase backdated to 1st January 2024 as set out in the circular issued by my Department on 4 April 2024. UCC has advised that the implementation of a pay increase with a back-dated element must take a number of variables into account over the period in question including salaries, allowances, overtime,...