Results 3,821-3,840 of 5,157 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 3. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills following on from his confirmation that his officials were examining the issue of 51-week leases for purpose-built student accommodation, if he can update on same. [9105/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I seek confirmation the Minister's officials are examining the issue of 51-week leases for purpose-built student accommodation and ask for an update on that.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I welcome that because it is an issue of huge concern among students. It is reflective of the wider housing crisis. The delivery of purpose-built student accommodation by large vulture funds is becoming mainstream and common, meaning many students are relying on it, so much so that vulture funds have more student beds in Dublin than all the Dublin...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Yes, but we also need to be frank here. Because of the over-reliance on the private sector, specifically now on vulture funds for providing purpose-built student accommodation, we are in this crisis. Of course I want to see purpose-built student accommodation by universities at an affordable rate. I have a few concerns. It does not seem to me there will be a move towards TUs being able...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 5. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to tackle the growing backlog of apprenticeship off the job training. [9107/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I am asking this question again. Regarding the backlog of apprenticeships for off-the-job training, can the Minister of State update us on what he is doing to tackle this?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The Minister and Minister of State have spoken positively about improving the output of craft apprenoticeships. They have also widened the opportunities for people to pursue consortia apprenticeships. However, the current situation is simply not good enough for those seeking off-the-job training. There are around 9,000 people waiting for levels 2, 4 and 6 training, which is a crazy figure....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: On the issue of people being trained for level 2 off-the-job training, which is welcome, and those seeking level 4 and 6 training, is it the case that people are being moved from levels 4 and 6 off-the-job training in order to accommodate level 2 apprentices? Have I understood that correctly? That issue has been raised with me a number of times. I would like to get an understanding on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Provision (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 18. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the dentistry school for Cork, for which the ground was broken, but has yet to be delivered. [9109/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Provision (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Will the Minister provide an update on the dentistry school for Cork on which ground was broken but which has not yet been delivered?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Provision (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Am I correct in thinking that the Minister was there for the breaking of the ground?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Provision (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Okay, I will have to look back in that regard. Back in 2019, UCC was granted planning permission for a five-storey building in Curraheen but this did not progress. A fortnight ago, the Irish Examiner reported UCC has now "dropped plans for Cork University Dental School and Hospital to move to a bigger site, despite its dean warning that the current building is “untenable”...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Provision (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: There are a few things here. Another piece in the Irish Examiner reads: The IDA said this school is “instrumental” in providing care to thousands of patients and training students. “We urge the Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, and all relevant Government departments to acknowledge that the UCC Dental School can no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank the Chair and I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I attended the launch of the witnesses' report a few months ago. It was fascinating and I thank the witnesses for that research. The committee had other consultations on this matter approximately two weeks ago and one of the things mentioned, which was mentioned in the witnesses' opening statement as well, was the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Okay, that is fair. What about northern students coming to the South?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Okay, that is fair. One thing I have heard anecdotally is that, since Covid-19, there has been an increase in the number of students going from the South to the North. The witnesses highlighted the issues with the cost of living and housing. From speaking to people in universities in the North, it has come up that housing there is cheaper and, as a result, more students from the Border...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Of course. One of my party colleagues is now the Minister for the Economy and he has a particular interest in North-South mobility. He is also interested in what I thought was fascinating about the witnesses' presentation, namely, that so many students who go to Britain do not return. This has a major impact on the wider economy and this is important. Foreign languages were also...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: That is great. I thank Professor Smyth.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I thank the Chair and the witnesses for coming in front of the committee. Obviously this is something we have been looking at for some time and it is important to acknowledge that we are seeing changes in relation to qualifying criteria for students from the North coming to the South. That is welcome and it is positive that the witnesses have had a major focus in relation to this. My party...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Feb 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: In respect of phase 2, two things arise. Are specific craft apprenticeships going to the North in terms of the phase 2 capacity? Mr. Brownlee mentioned short-term capacity for phase 2 to deal with the backlog. Is that something he can envisage as being longer term in the sense of that collaboration? Obviously if there is a backlog now, the concern is that were that capacity to be removed...