Results 3,341-3,360 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Leaders' Questions (12 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: So was Deputy Burton.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Charges (12 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 159 together. The report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education outlines three main funding options for the future funding of the higher education sector. These options are currently being considered by the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills. The outcome of the Committee’s deliberations will inform future...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (12 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As the Deputy may be aware, third level institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for the day to day management and operational affairs of the institute, including the management of its staffing requirements. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA designated higher education institutions and the...

Seanad: Equality of Access to Education: Motion (12 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I welcome this opportunity to address the House. I look forward to engaging with Members of both Houses as we seek to address some of the important challenges that are currently facing the higher education sector. I look forward to engaging with colleagues from all parties and none on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills, which has a most important task regarding higher...

Seanad: Equality of Access to Education: Motion (12 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, also secured additional funding of €8.5 million for access measures in budget 2017.This will provide for new measures to support the national access plan. There will also be incentives for higher education institutions to engage directly with disadvantaged communities in order to attract more disadvantaged students. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: A Student Accommodation Strategy is currently being finalised by my Department and will be submitted for approval to Government prior to publication. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The position with regard to specific issues raised in the recent programme referred to by the Deputy is that my Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) have established an independent review of the governance, HR and financial practices with the University of Limerick which was one of the Universities referred to in the programme. In addition the HEA has commenced the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation is responsible for the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI). I understand that its subhead provision for the PRTLI in 2016 was €30.4m and in 2017 it is €14.4m. The total Exchequer and non-Exchequer funding for Cycle 5 of the PRTLI was approved at the outset of the programme in December 2010, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Access to Higher Education (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: There are currently 14,612 full and part time students in Department of Education and Skills funded Higher Education Institutions in the South East region. Data provided by the institutions to the HEA shows that Institute of Technology Carlow currently has 6,820 full and part time students and Waterford Institute of Technology has 7,792. Information provided by the HEA from their student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 to 324, inclusive, together. Based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2014/15 (and were therefore liable to pay the Student Contribution), and taking into account overall expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my Department of abolishing the Student Contribution for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It is not possible to definitively calculate the cost of the various adjustments that have been made to the student support system since 2008, particularly in light of the demographic changes that have taken place. To put it in context, in 2008/09 there were 57,261 students who benefitted from grant support at a cost of €264m, whereas in 2015/16 there were 80,622 students in receipt of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Students (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The most recent data available on the percentage of international students studying in Department of Education and Skills aided Higher Education Institutions is for the academic year 2015/2016. The information provided by Higher Education Institutions to the Higher Education Authority indicates that in the academic year 2015/2016, 8.7% of full time students were of Non-EU domicile of origin...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy will be aware of the Programme for Government commitment to increase financial supports for post graduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In response to this commitment, Minister Bruton secured additional funding of €4million in Budget 2017 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from September 2017, for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (13 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Financial supports are currently available for those postgraduate students who meet the eligibility criteria of the Student Grant Scheme. Post-graduate students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. Alternatively, a postgraduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, along with any funding it receives from private sources, is a matter for the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Administration (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The HEA board minutes to which the Deputy refers were published on the HEA’s website on 28th June 2017. HEA Board meetings are listed sequentially. On occasions, additional special meetings are arranged, these tend to be one item meetings. The special meeting of October 2014 was not published on the HEA’s website due to an administrative oversight. The HEA did...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Entry Requirements (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Admission to third level courses are decided by the higher education institutions and my Department does not have a role in setting the criteria for course entry. The Central Applications Office (CAO) manages the graduate entry to medicine on behalf of the participating institutions, and the Graduate Medical Schools Admission Tests (GAMSAT) is used in this regard. The CAO handbook states...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 287 together. The principal support provided by the Department of Education and Skills in financial terms is the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to students in further and higher education. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The principle support provided by my Department in financial terms is the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to students in further and higher education. The student grant scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The principle support provided by my Department, in financial terms, is the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to students in further and higher education. The student grant scheme is administered on behalf of the Department by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to...