Results 3,641-3,660 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): University Governance (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I do not have that specific date with me. The Department supports the proposals that emerged during the discussions at meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts earlier this year, which are that the latest available audited accounts for trusts and foundations should be made available with the main financial statements laid before the Oireachtas. The HEA wrote to all institutions in June...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Technological Universities (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Technological University of the South East, TUSE, consortium has received total funding of some €0.57 million to date. Last month a further €0.15 million was allocated to the consortium. Specific activities being progressed currently include a review of human resources processes etc. The Deputy is aware that the Institute of Technology Carlow has a Wexford campus based...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Technological Universities (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputy Wallace. I acknowledge the frustration but, as the Deputy is aware from his background, if the deal was not signed then there was no deal. The vendor, unfortunately, has pulled out. That is where it is currently at. There is a commitment of an investment of €47.9 million, which would have 19,206 planned beneficiaries, for the Waterford and Wexford education and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Technological Universities (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Deputy has asked about the HSE and I will certainly talk to the Minister for Health about that issue. With regard to the Wexford campus I am disappointed also, but I know the importance of making sure that we have higher education institutions in the regions. This is why I am pushing the Technological Universities Bill. We are supporting IT Carlow to assess the situation in Wexford....

Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Committee Stage of the Bill was completed on 22 November and I will introduce Report Stage later today in the House. The provisional date for the commencement of the Second Stage debate in the Seanad is 13 December.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: While there has been a decline in the position of some Irish Institutions in some international rankings systems, Ireland performs ahead of most European countries relative to our population size and has the highest level of tertiary attainment rate for 30-34 year olds in Europe. My Department has consistently outlined that we have to be cautious about how we interpret the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Equality (6 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The NUI Galway Report of its Gender Equality Task Force identified 24 recommendations to be implemented by the University. The membership of the task force is available on the NUI, Galway website. I understand that NUI, Galway has a Gender Equality Action Plan in place regarding implementation of its Gender Equality Task Force recommendations and those of the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Occupational First Aid (7 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Senator Craughwell for raising this issue and for welcoming me here as Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for higher education. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, has asked me to take this Commencement matter. The Senator did mention I was a former school principal and yes our teachers would have been trained up...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Occupational First Aid (7 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am happy to relay the Senator's views to the Minister.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology (12 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Senator John O'Mahony for raising this issue. I also want to thank Senators Paddy Burke and Michelle Mulherin for raising this issue with me and the Minister, Deputy Bruton, on numerous occasions. At the outset, I would like to state that the Department and the HEA are fully committed to implementing a viable development plan for the future of the Castlebar campus of GMIT.Following...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology (12 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Yes. The Senator can certainly take that. As I have said, I will publish the report before the end of the year. The Senator, in his earlier contribution, mentioned the students that would be applying.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology (12 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Definitely, there will be a roadmap for GMIT before students submit CAO applications.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Institutes of Technology (12 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Acting Chairman.

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Order for Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 1:In page 7, line 9, after “authorities” to insert “, and investigation into the performance of functions,”. Amendment No. 1-----

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: This is the first of a number of technical amendments relating to investigator powers. The amendment specifically provides for the inclusion in the Long Title of the Bill of a reference providing for the investigation into the performance of functions regarding institutes of technology, including the Dublin Institute of Technology. This provision is comprehended in the function and...

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Deputy Thomas Byrne asked about the investigatory provisions relating to universities. Important technical issues have come up which are being considered in respect of university governance, autonomy and control of the impact on the classification of universities in terms of a wider, national fiscal policy. These technical issues will be considered by the Department of Education and Skills,...

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I reiterate that I am not in the business of guaranteeing anything. We have spent years bringing in this Technological Universities Bill, and I thank the TUI which voted in favour of technological universities. The regional remit of TUs is being strengthened in this Bill. With regard to staff transfer to the TUs, I have been very clear in what I have said. I reiterate that the...

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Let us look at the section on the transfer of staff.

Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (14 Dec 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The Bill states: "Every person who, immediately before the designated day (a) was a member of the staff of the dissolved body shall, on the designated day, become and be a member of the staff of the merged institute and (b) was a fixed-term employee of the dissolved body shall, on the designated day, become and be a fixed-term employee of the merged institute for the duration of his or her...