Results 501-520 of 3,444 for speaker:Shane Cassells

Public Accounts Committee: HEA - Financial Statement 2015 (29 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: The international norms where this is used as an option.

Public Accounts Committee: HEA - Financial Statement 2015 (29 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: I have mentioned the €600 million that will be required by 2021. Last week, I asked the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills about the required level of investment. One of the report's opening gambits was that the status quoor incremental improvements would not be sufficient to meet demand. Will that challenge be met by 2021? The stark statement was made that...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Financial Services Regulation (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: 133. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review the cases of persons having difficulties accessing the savings of deceased relatives in bank accounts (details supplied); if the Central Bank and-or the Financial Services Ombudsman is inquiring into this on behalf of the families; the oversight of the transfer to the legacy team of a company (details supplied) the Central Bank exercised;...

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: I offer a very warm welcome to the president and all the other staff of DkIT. As a Deputy representing a Meath constituency, I am acutely aware of the role of DkIT as an institute of technology, its importance to the wider north-east region as an educational campus and its wider importance to the economy, not just of Dundalk, but more widely. Denis Cummins came to Meath County Council when...

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: I want to talk about that, but before we get there, the first priority of the financial plan, to which Ms Campbell has referred, is getting the college back on an even keel.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: Ms Campbell seems to be doing that, bringing DkIT to a year-on-year position of breaking even, but come the summer of next year, how is it envisioned that accumulated deficit will be tackled? I am sure Ms Campbell is looking at that simultaneously so that there is no overhanging debt there. How is it planned to deal with that?

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: Let us look at that. In terms of how costs are cut to try to break even, and to reflect on the impact of the loss of these services provided by the college, as Ms Campbell said, between 2007 and 2012, HEA funding to Dundalk was cut by 34%. The students picked up the tab through increased contribution fees. That is an immediate impact. Then we see the strategy of not replacing identified...

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: I was going to ask a follow-on question on the review of the school of engineering, because Dundalk always had a very good reputation in that respect. Many secondary school students would have naturally gone to DkIT for that reason. It would be a worrying trend if cuts were to be made to something which has always been regarded as very high quality in the college. That would be extremely...

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: Does Ms Campbell have any future plans to address both of those areas?

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: Five or six years ago, the college was trying to pursue an outreach facility and deal with areas where there were no institutes of technology, Meath being a prime example. What has been the impact on that and where does that programme stand?

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: One of the aspects that Ms Campbell touched on in terms of the financial position in March of this year was that savings were not easily achieved, and consequently the institute has very limited capacity to invest in infrastructure and facilities. That is obviously a concern. It has been a concern identified in the wider reports as well for campuses. I am au faitwith the campus in Dundalk....

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: That is the point I am making. I asked about investment in planning and pre-planning because the plan was an elaborate one.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: That is the GAA stadium.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: There were indicative costs of €6 million, of which €3 was to be provided by Dundalk Institute of Technology and €3 million was to be provided by Louth County Board.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: Dundalk Institute of Technology acquired a sports campus.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: Student accommodation was part of that plan.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: In terms of where the plan stands, Louth GAA has walked away from it. Is there a plan in place to provide a scaled-down facility at the campus?

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: RTE also has a role on the campus.

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: What arrangement is in place with RTE in terms of working with students and so forth on campus?

Public Accounts Committee: Dundalk Institute of Technology: Financial Statement 2015 (30 Mar 2017)

Shane Cassells: It is obviously a tenant of Dundalk Institute of Technology.