Results 9,721-9,740 of 11,795 for speaker:Niall Collins

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (9 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 324. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the progress made to provide a network of primary healthcare centres in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60981/21]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (14 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 148. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there are grants available for the purchase of a generator (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61855/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (14 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 330. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the process to establish an approved housing body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61913/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (14 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 331. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of all approved housing bodies in the State; the number of social, affordable and other type of housing units analysed by local authority area under their ownership and or management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61914/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (14 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 to 478, inclusive, together. I understand from enquiries made by my officials with Kerry Education and Training Board (KETB) that its Youthreach Programme, which had been provided by a third party under a Service Level Agreement until 31st December 2018, was brought into the Board’s directly provided services from 1stJanuary 2019 with the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (15 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 144. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if advice will be provided in relation to a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) regarding pension entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62317/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (16 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 374. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) regarding the issuing of leaving certificate results will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62433/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (16 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 to 465, inclusive, together. Youthreach is a further education and training programme for early school leavers which aims to provide young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate fully in society and progress to further education, training and employment. The staff in Youthreach include Youthreach Co-ordinators, Youthreach...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (16 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: 512. To ask the Minister for Health when approval will issue for pregnant women to be able to receive their booster Covid-19 vaccination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62481/21]

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: I thank the Chairman and committee members for the opportunity to speak to them this morning and for the committee's consideration of the the Department for Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science's Supplementary Estimate. I am accompanied today by officials from my Department and am conscious that I have only five minutes to deliver my opening statement. I will...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy. I will make a couple of comments on apprenticeships. The committee will be well aware that we launched the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 to 2025 earlier in the year and it has a number of high-level targets in it to increase the number of new apprenticeship registrations up to 10,000 per annum by the year 2025. Within that also is a reorganisation of the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: As I described in the opening statement, back in 2009 there was an arrangement between the then Department of Education and Science and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to take over the liability for pensions in our university sector. Similar to any other civil or public servants when they retire, the obligation falls to have their pensions paid to them. Pensions are not...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: We have negotiated this lump sum, if one can describe it as such, to distribute and this will be done by the HEA across our universities, institutes of technology and technological universities. We have also built an additional €20 million into the base of that going forward. There is a recognition and a commitment from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that this is a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: In terms of identifying skills and deficits in skills, there are seven regional skills fora and they are rooted in their regions. The fora are populated by employers and business and industry leaders in these regions. The fora are not sector-specific and cover all of the sectors. There is also a regional skills manager in each of the areas who oversees and co-ordinates. So that is part of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: The Deputy alluded to the CAO in the preamble to his question. Recently the Department has completely broadened the information and the provision of information and options on the CAO website in order that people can now access full information such as where and when to apply through the CAO options for further and higher education and apprenticeships. Built into that is the availability of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: Earlier this year we published our safe return to on-campus in-person guidelines following extensive collaboration with all of the stakeholders in the sector, including students and staff unions. That provided a roadmap and a template to reopen in a structured manner given the public health climate and guidance. Right now universities, technological colleges and further education...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: We are very conscious of this matter. Housing for All is a massive house building programme that the State is undertaking. For that programme to succeed we need a pipeline of skilled workers. We are also conscious of the State’s obligation in respect of climate change. There is a focus on green skills and the nearly zero energy building, NZEB, centres. I do not have the exact...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2021)

Niall Collins: He also asked about PLCs. A total of €2 million is allocated in the budget for next year to abolish the €200 fee for students taking those courses.