Results 3,881-3,900 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2018: Motion (4 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I also wish TU4Dublin the very best of luck. To be fair, much collaboration took place beforehand and the expert panel could recognise that. In respect of the future funding of higher education and following on from the Cassells report, the Deputy knows that my Department commenced a programme of reform in the higher education sector. An interdepartmental working group on the future...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2018: Motion (4 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We have a strategy on purpose-built student accommodation and are working our way through it. A total of 3,000 spaces are being built at the moment while 7,000 have planning permission and another 7,000 are in the pipeline for pre-planning so it is going ahead. I am sorry; I would love to get it done more quickly but it is going ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2018: Motion (4 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I hear the Chairman. I have nephews and nieces in some of the colleges and I know it presents difficulties for parents. The Chairman also asked about the Cassells report. We have taken that and are getting advice in Europe on it. However, it is not just about throwing money at a system that is exactly the same as it was in 2016. We are looking for reforms and at apprenticeships and where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2018: Motion (4 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We are looking for it from an expert group in the EU. There is an extra €600 million and after 2020, there will be an extra €1.1 billion. I have just told the committee that the entire budget is €1.6 billion. I am very cognisant that we need more investment in education and I want the right kind of investment in the sectors in higher education in which we need to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Joint Committee (Resumed) (4 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank all of my officials.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am pleased to bring the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 before the Seanad. The Bill proposes to amend the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 which established Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, as the national agency responsible for external quality assurance and qualification across the further...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am glad to be here and am delighted to bring this Bill to Committee Stage. I appreciate the consideration and have taken on board who has said what. I will try to answer some questions but there are other aspects where I will have to revert to my officials and work through what has been brought up today. I apologise, therefore, for not addressing the speakers in the order in which they...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will look at that and I know we are aware of it. I note the Senator's concern, especially as a result of the cost of providers operating in the community and voluntary sector. The relevant powers to waive fees that the Senator discussed are provided for under section 80 of the 2012 Act. Therefore, the question she raised relates exclusively to the implementation of the current Act rather...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (11 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am pleased that budget 2019 has delivered for higher education. On budget day, I announced three different funding streams: a capital funding stream, the current core funding stream and a new funding stream called the human capital initiative, HCI, stream. In current and capital spending, new programmes and initiatives will make a major difference to our third level landscape. I am...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Transport (11 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy John Halligan. I thank Senator Lombard who has made his case very strongly. I do not know either of another case in Ireland like the one he describes. I was a principal in a rural school and in an urban one and I attended a two-teacher school as a child. As such, I understand how...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Transport (11 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will ensure the message is given to the Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan, that the Senator has requested a meeting on Sherkin Island.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: DEIS Status (17 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh. I am delighted he has been appointed to that office. I take this opportunity in Dáil Éireann to wish him the very best. I was a school principal for 31 years and I understand what Deputy Pearse Doherty is saying. I have taught thousands of children...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: DEIS Status (17 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Deputy and hear him clearly but I point out that the 2019 budget saw the largest Vote ever for education of €10.8 billion. To be fair, we must target our resources and that is what we are doing. We have to make sure that the children in most need get the resources they require. As I said earlier, the underlying principle for inclusion in the DEIS school programme is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: DEIS Status (17 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: DEIS plan 2017-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: DEIS Status (17 Oct 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: DEIS plan 2017 provides that if we are to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of disadvantage, then our extra resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest level of need. It also provides for the development of a resource allocation model which aims to move away from the quite rigid and inflexible...

Apprenticeships: Motion [Private Members] (7 Nov 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am delighted that Fianna Fáil has tabled this Private Member's motion. We need to have a national conversation about apprenticeships. While apprenticeships are an exciting option for many young people, they are the Cinderella of career options and are not seen by many young people and their parents as viable or attractive. I am delighted that we are working together to get this...

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed) (4 Dec 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Does the Deputy mean "pregnant"?

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 3 provides for the amending of existing definitions and the introduction of newly defined terms within the Act of 2012. Amendment No. 1 is a technical refinement to the definition of relevant provider. It will ensure that the definition is comprehensive and captures those listed awarding bodies providing either one or more programmes leading to their own awards, that are awards...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 4 provides for amendments to the functions of QQI, including a specific statutory function for the sharing of information with other bodies such as a Department of State, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and SOLAS. This amendment modifies this function to align it with legislation in the area of data protection such as GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This function is...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (5 Dec 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: These amendments will replace the term "investigations" with the term "reviews" within the authority's performance of its functions and that is necessary for the consistency of the terminology within the legislation and to ensure that there can be no misrepresentation or misinterpretation of the terms.