Results 3,361-3,380 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Higher Education Authority Board currently comprises a Chairperson and 12 ordinary members. I can advise the Deputy that all the current members of the Board are ordinarily resident within the State with the exception of four members, two of whom reside in the United Kingdom and two who reside in the United States of America. The international...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does, however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The data provided in the following table is in respect of students who are awarded a grant from SUSI the centralised grant awarding authority, which was established in 2012.  It does not encompass data relating to the 66 awarding authorities who have continued to process renewal applications on a transistionary basis, as their data is not collated in the format requested by the...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The following table provides a breakdown of the grant awards for the academic year 2016/17 in the categories requested by the Deputy.  However, approximately 5,500 of these students did not take up the grant for a number of reasons e.g repeating a year and in the majority of cases not take up their college place. The data provided in the following table is in...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table: County of Origin of ROI Students 2016/17 Enrolments Carlow 2,615 Cavan 2,657 Clare 5,590 Cork 24,744 Donegal 6,330 Dublin 47,091 Galway 13,950 Kerry 6,587 Kildare 8,960 Kilkenny 4,180 Laois 2,896 Leitrim 1,361 Limerick 8,806 Longford 1,515 Louth 4,965 Mayo 5,690 Meath 7,668 Monaghan 2,387...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Private third level institutions are operated independently and do not come under the remit of my Department. However, private higher education institutions may choose to voluntarily engage with QQI, the national agency with responsibility for quality assurance and qualifications across the further and higher education sectors, to seek validation of programmes and to gain access to QQI...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The data provided in the table are in respect of students who received a grant from SUSI the centralised grant awarding authority, which was established in 2012. It does not encompass data relating to the 66 awarding authorities who have continued to process renewal applications on a transitionary basis, as their data are not collated in the format requested by the Deputy. The table provides...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Fees for part-time courses are a matter for the relevant institutions. However, based on enrolment data for part-time students provided by the HEA the estimated cost of extending the maintenance grant to Higher Education students would be €32m per year. The Deputy will be aware that tax relief is available for certain fees paid in respect of part time courses. Full details of this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (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: English Language Training Organisations (26 Jul 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The majority of English language schools in Ireland are privately run. The relationship between teachers and private providers of education is based on a private contract. Issues relating to working conditions are a matter between the two parties and do not come under the remit of my Department. There is an extensive range of legislation in Ireland which protects the employment rights of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303 and 429 together. I am aware of the decision by University College Cork (UCC) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) relating to the Irish Maritime and Energy Research Cluster (IMERC). However, neither my Department, nor the Higher Education Authority, were involved in the review or in the decisions by UCC and CIT. IMERC...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for gathering statistics on student numbers and according to the student numbers recorded by the HEA in respect of the 2016/17 academic year, there was 131,268 students attending universities and other colleges while 86,975 students attended Institutes of Technology (IoTs). This represents 60% for universities and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: There are a number of possible support options available to persons wishing to complete a masters in primary education. The Deputy will be aware of the Action Plan for Education commitment to increase financial supports for postgraduate students with a particular focus on those from low income households. In response to this commitment, I secured additional funding of €4 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology Staff (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The higher education institutional profiles for the 2013/2014 academic year give an academic staff : student ratio of 1:16 for the Institute of Technology sector. The Higher Education Authority is currently finalising the institutional profiles for the 2014/15 academic year and this will include an updated  academic staff : student ratio for the sector.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions Reform (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The DARE scheme is a third-level admissions scheme for students with a disability offering places on reduced points basis to school leavers with disabilities who are under 23. HEAR is a college and university admissions scheme offering places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers from socio-economically disadvantages backgrounds. The DARE HEAR schemes have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I have sought expressions of interest for two academic members to fill vacancies on the Higher Education Authority Board through the Public Appointments Service. The closing date for receipt of applications was 7 July 2017. A total of 39 applications were received. The Assessment Panel has examined all applications and a list of potential candidates will be presented to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Process (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 459 together. The Government approved the drafting of insertions and amendments to the Technological Universities Bill 2015, as passed at Committee Stage in Dáil Eireann, on 11 July 2017. The approval is subject to any amendments, including any consequential amendments, deemed necessary by the Office of the Attorney General.Officials from my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Administration (11 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. For a dependent student, the reckonable income for grant purposes includes both his/her own income and that of his/her parents/legal guardians. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or...

Questions on Promised Legislation (21 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The amendments for the Technological Universities Bill 2015 are being drafted and I am hoping to have them soon and to deal with that legislation before the end of the year.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (26 Sep 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am delighted to be here in this lovely new Chamber. I congratulate the architects and everyone else involved in its design. I thank the Senator very much for her question and raising this matter as it gives me an opportunity to outline to the Seanad the current position on the ongoing campaign for the provision of an Educate Together secondary school for the south Kildare region. My...