Results 3,181-3,200 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh

Protection of Hedgerows Bill 2024: First Stage (22 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: This is a valuable opportunity to dig down into this issue. One of the phrases used by Mr. Moynes was "visa factories". That is one of the very serious and genuine concerns people have. We know that a lot of students were left high and dry by some of these providers winding up at very short notice. While it is a great financial loss to Italian or Spanish students who are coming here to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is a month-long course - 120 hours.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: What qualifications do they need to have going into that course?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: So not even a primary degree is required.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Not an honours degree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: On the specifics of the level 7 qualification, is there any prescription around what area that level 7 would be in? Is there any requirement for it to have a linguistic element? Can someone have a level 7 in whatever it is, take a month-long course and they are then a qualified English-language teacher?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I remember the terror of being asked for the first time the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb, and I was coming from a language background and had a language degree - I had studied English and had done components of other languages as well. I am not at all sure that somebody who comes from, say, an engineering degree arrives with the required level of linguistic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Is there a structured CPD element? There certainly was not in the past, although I know my experience of this is very much out of date. I assume a lot of this is still summertime work; for example, courses being run out of the local secondary school, where the Italian and Spanish students are dropping in. I did several years of this before I went back to train as a primary school teacher....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: How many of the people who are teaching ESL are working all year round as opposed to people who teach in the summer? How long are people staying within the profession? If we are serious about CPD, then we are talking about people who are making this a long-term career. However, if we are talking about the students from UCD doing three months during the summer, then we may throw our hat at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: However, there is not an incremental scale as such for the classroom teacher. Most of these are private operators and so would be paid an hourly wage. I understand that those looking for career progression will move into management or something like that. However, it does create concerns. I am aware that I am well over time but I want to come back to Mr. Moynes on the protection issue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Mr. Moynes does understand that a lot of this is happening in a grey area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (Resumed). (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: In platform working, for example, workers are all sharing the licences. They know if somebody calls the ball on that, then all of their mates' licences are gone. It is similar when people who know they are in breach of the visa requirements have an issue in the workplace. They are unlikely to go to the WRC. Despite the stated reason for these people to be here, they do not have the...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The first thing to say is that the Minister is as good as her word. She promised to take four of my amendments back to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. They have returned to the House this evening as three amendments but all four are captured. I thank the Minister for that. It is unusual and rewarding as a Government backbencher when a Minister engages constructively with the...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister for taking what I had proposed to the OPC and coming back with an amendment. Of course, I had originally two individual amendments on this but the OPC found a better place to do it with one amendment. As the Minister said, it is in section 69, which provides for AE provider schemes and risk levels. I am firmly of the opinion, as the impact of climate change will...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: From the outside, if you had a look at this amendment, which removes the word "may" and replaces it with the word "shall", even if you did not have a knowledge of the legislative process, you would ask what are those guys doing in there that something like this is what is taking up their time. However, this is probably the most consequential amendment. Certainly, it is the most...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Systems Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (22 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Deputy Sherlock made reference to a good day's work. More than a good day's work was put into this. The Cathaoirleach of the committee cannot be here today but Deputy Ó Laoghaire and I are so, on behalf of the committee, I am thankful for all of the support at the pre-legislative scrutiny stage. We might have liked to see more of the recommendations being taken on board in the final...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Insurance Coverage (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 195. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if e-scooters and other powered personal transporters are covered by public liability insurance in the same way bicycles are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22610/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Insurance Coverage (21 May 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 196. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport whether regulations surrounding insurance for e-scooters and powered personal transporters of a certain power are forthcoming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22611/24]