Results 3,741-3,760 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 453. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the payment rates under the Student Universal Support Ireland Scheme, given the poor standard of transport links in many rural areas. [26895/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 454. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has conducted any review of the rules of assessing estrangement used by Student Universal Support Ireland; if she is aware of any review conducted by Student Universal Support Ireland on the matter; and the outcome of any of these reviews. [26896/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland Administration (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 455. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide clear guidelines to grant authorities that will compel them to recognise genuine evidence from students that demonstrates estrangement from their families. [26897/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 456. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that students over 23 years of age who are classed as mature students are assessed on their personal income, and not that of their parents; and if she will introduce formal guidelines on same for Student Universal Support Ireland. [26898/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 457. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of fully reinstating the postgraduate maintenance grant. [26899/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Expenditure (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 458. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that postgraduate fee contributions match undergraduate fee contributions. [26900/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 459. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the rules around transitional courses at third level for the purposes of supports under the Student Universal Support Ireland scheme, given the lack of recognition that add-on courses with high progression rates currently have. [26901/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grants Data (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 460. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who received a grant in a repeat year of studies during the years 2013-14 and 2014-15; and the guidelines used to decide on their qualifications. [26902/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 492. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) in County Dublin will be considered for inclusion under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools scheme, as part of the upcoming review of the scheme for disadvantaged schools, given that all other schools in the area have been included under the scheme. [27222/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 493. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if extra funds have been available for her Department to comply with planning conditions set down by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and upheld by An Bord Pleanála regarding the planning application for the building of a new school for a co-educational day school (details supplied) in County Dublin. [27223/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (7 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 498. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of a change to the school transport scheme (details supplied); and that this change means many large lower-income areas in Galway city are now excluded from the grant. [27255/15]

Topical Issues: Back to School Costs (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: We raise this issue at this time every year. Students are no sooner out of school on their summer holidays than parents start to worry and fret about the cost of sending them back to school at the end of August and the start of September. The Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, may be aware of the recent publication of a survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions. It indicates the financial...

Topical Issues: Back to School Costs (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: The code of practice regarding books is voluntary. There is no evidence to suggest it is reducing costs. One of the matters I have raised personally with the Minister and in the education committee is the need to look at the effectiveness of that voluntary code of practice. If it is not working, it should be put on a statutory basis. It must be made an enforceable code of practice. ...

Topical Issues: Back to School Costs (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: The issue is workbooks.

Topical Issues: Back to School Costs (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Minister can certainly order schools to introduce a generic uniform.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: When I was listening to the Minister of State's reply to the initial comments on these amendments, it seemed to me that there was a major contradiction in what he was saying. He said that Part V is an integral part of the provision of social housing, even though he is legislating for a reduction in the limit from 20% to 10% and providing for a leasing option, thereby removing the need to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Records (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: 171. To ask the Minister for Health ​the current location of the ​obstetric ​records, including the birth registers and annual returns, made under the 1934 Registration of Maternity Homes Act; ​and details of the type of records held for​ each year from 19​50 onwards relating to maternity services formerly provided at ​​a private...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Draft Educational Research Centre (Establishment) Order 2015: Discussion with the Minister for Education and Skills (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: I thank the Minister. I welcome the proposal to make the ERC a body under section 54 of the Education Act 1998. The Minister examined a number of options, including whether to bring the centre under the aegis of the Department, but the route she is going down is the most prudent. The centre will maintain its independence and will have a governance structure, which is important. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Draft Educational Research Centre (Establishment) Order 2015: Discussion with the Minister for Education and Skills (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: The briefing note states that the establishment order also makes it clear that the ERC will have a role in developing and providing materials and assistance to schools to enable them to monitor and report to parents and others on the progress of students. Obviously, some of that will tie into junior cycle reform as well. Could the Minister expand on exactly what role the ERC will have in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Draft Educational Research Centre (Establishment) Order 2015: Discussion with the Minister for Education and Skills (8 Jul 2015)

Jonathan O'Brien: I have a final question. Obviously, other Departments have to contribute to the education system, for example, child care. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is responsible for the school completion programme. There is a cross-departmental plan that must feed into the overall education system; it is not just down to the Minister. When the ERC is doing its research does it take...