Results 981-1,000 of 5,828 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Properties (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: 618. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the significant challenges in the conservation of the Curragh, County Kildare; the measures his Department is undertaking to help preserve the Curragh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20386/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Joint Committee (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I wish to call the meeting to order. We will go into private session.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the witnesses for attending. We are starting later than we had anticipated. I am sorry about that but am looking forward to having a timely and efficient briefing from all the witnesses. I remind members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones or switch them to flight mode because they interfere with the sound system and make it difficult for the parliamentary reporters to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Fenn. It is clear that there is a great deal of activity. The next speaker is Mr. Des Murphy from Education and Training Boards Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Murphy and ask Mr. O'Toole from SOLAS to give its findings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. O'Toole. It is fitting that we move on to our next speaker, Mr. Michael Hourihan from the Cork Institute of Technology who is head of the Centre for Craft Studies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Could I ask Mr. Smith to stick very particularly to the subject topic?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: To be honest I feel that it has gone beyond what we would have anticipated so I ask the witness to just stick clearly to the context of looking at apprenticeships and where are the possible opportunities to develop.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Smith. Our final contributor is Mr. Tom Parlon, the director general of the Construction Industry Federation and a former esteemed Member of the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Carey. I will open the meeting to members who may wish to ask questions. Deputy Burton is up first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank all the witnesses for their statements. They will have an opportunity to respond to questions in a moment. I will not delay proceedings much further. However, having heard the figures on what is needed in hospitality and tourism and construction, it appears we are facing a bottleneck in terms of having adequately trained and prepared staff to service these industries. A major...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. O'Toole and all of the witnesses for their contributions, attendance and submissions and opening statements. We also received submissions from other groups and organisations with an interest in this area. I thank those who came to listen to the proceedings this evening. We very much appreciate their time and attention. If they feel there is something they would like to add to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We discussed the arrangements for this meeting at our last one, so I suggest we move ahead. We do not need to go into the preamble again. I need to leave the meeting for approximately 15 minutes at 4.45 p.m. to go to the Dáil, so I suggest Deputy Martin acts as Chairman during that time. Is that agreed? Agreed. I am also conscious the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, has to leave...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The second part of this meeting, which will start at 5.15 p.m., will address skills development and apprenticeships. The committee recognises that it is hugely important for a modern economy that we do all we can to help support skills development and the skills development system. Regarding subhead B5, the metrics are very useful in terms of looking at this. There were 12 key high...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for the clarification. I will now open questions on the other subheads in programme B.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Is there anything else on programme B?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We will now move on to programme C, higher education. I propose we start with subhead C4, universities, institutes of technology and others being granted aid, and subhead C11, student support and related expenses.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I take it Deputy Catherine Martin is talking about the Wake Up SUSI campaign, which we heard about eight months ago. It is probably only a small number of students who are affected but the feeling of the committee at the time was that they deserve the same level of support. One thing that struck us was that the CAO form does not specify that these colleges are not covered by SUSI grants....

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We also have to take into account the 12,000 Irish students currently studying in England and Northern Ireland. In the event of a hard Brexit, we may have to cater for these extra numbers. Approximately 2,000 of those students currently avail of SUSI grants.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I said at the start we would not stray into policy areas but I support what Deputy Catherine Martin said. I had a conversation with the clerk to the committee earlier and we will table that issue at our next meeting in terms of a recommendation that we could make to the Minister.