Results 1,281-1,300 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (29 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: This has been Green Party policy since God was a boy, going back to the time of Trevor Sargent, who was elected in the same constituency as my party colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. I feel strongly, as a former primary school teacher, that when children are in front of us, we should feed them well. The prepared reply the Minister gave me was detailed in some respects...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (29 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister. It would be dangerous for me to tell a Monaghan woman how to spend money wisely, but we do not want to be pennywise and pound-foolish here. Our nation's children are the most precious thing we have, and we want to ensure we get a good meal into them. We have started in the correct place, namely, in disadvantaged communities and in DEIS schools, but like the Minister,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Reform (1 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an announcement of the funding allocations being made available under PATH 4, phase 1; the institutions that have applied for this funding; if the quantum of funding will be sufficient to meet the demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59617/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Reform (1 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We discussed this issue at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Autism recently. I am seeking further detail on the announcement of the funding allocations to be made under PATH 4, phase 1. I wish to know the institutions that have applied for funding and whether the quantum of funding will be sufficient to meet the demand. Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Reform (1 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister for the answer. I want to try to dig down and understand how the funding allocation model works. The Minister stated that there is base funding, with a proportion allocated on the basis of student numbers. In regard to applying a cost-benefit analysis, €3 million in the first year is a significant amount. I want to rest assured that we are giving plenty of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Reform (1 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I acknowledge the work that Dublin City University, DCU, has been doing in this space. Representatives from DCU also made a presentation to the joint committee. It is exciting to see the idea and principle of universal design being applied to universities and to housing and such matters. It acknowledges that these specific interventions might be of particular use to autistic people and...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 37 - Social Protection (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: A process such as this in interesting. As the Minister mentioned in her opening statement, we thought Covid was sorted last February and asked what else could possibly put in on us. It is a testament to the Department how ably it dealt with Covid and how it is responding to the influx of Ukrainians. I echo the Minister's comments praising the hard work of the Department. How quickly are...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I wish to ask for clarification on two points. The first is on the energy support scheme. We have TBESS announcements coming from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and from the Minister's Department. I just want clarity, particularly for those clubs, community groups and voluntary associations that are going to be applying for this, about how streamlined...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of cross-Departmental engagement that his Department is engaged in, particularly in respect of the critical skills occupation list, within the context of the OECD skills review that his Department has commissioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59616/22]

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is a considerable Supplementary Estimate, €852 million, and yet the headwinds within the economy are such that every single part of that Estimate has good reason to be there. We can all see it from the ongoing Covid provisions to catering for Ukrainian students. Even things like general building costs have escalated. That is one point that I would receive positively. It is very...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The Minister will agree that even better than spending your own Department's money is spending another Department's money.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister of State for his presentation and for the briefing documents that accompanied it. I will raise five issues, which I will go through as a back-and-forth with the Minister of State rather than asking them all at once. The first relates to page 4 of the briefing. It mentions savings of €48 million, largely due to lower than expected numbers of students utilising...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Is the Department doing a large piece of work to understand that figure? It is a large amount of money but I am less worried about that than the number of students, which it implies have not applied for it. I would be interested in seeing that unpacked in a little more detail. Perhaps it is not something the Department has ready at this time but it is something that we would be interested...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister of State. I think we would all appreciate that. There is a €9 million allocation to hire additional tutors for English as a second or additional language for Ukrainians here. That must translate into quite a few tutors throughout the ETBs. How many tutor positions does that translate into? How has recruitment been on that? What qualifications are we looking...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Am I out of time?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I have three more questions so I had better chose the one that I like most. During statements on science week, the Minister announced that Ireland planned to join CERN. I absolutely agree that we should do it. I was delighted to hear him announce it. It does come at considerable cost and there are different levels of membership which cost different amounts. I do not see it detailed in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The Minister of State clearly anticipated the question, as he had a note in front of him. The sum of €48 million is a lot of money. How many students does that translate into? That should be measurable in the system. Are we seeing fall-off and is that in the uptake of first year places or is it where people moving from second to third year have been deciding to defer for a year?...

Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (6 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Next is the Regional Group, with Deputies Fitzpatrick and Verona Murphy sharing time.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (7 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The issue of teacher shortages was well aired this morning but there is a specific concern about teacher shortages in Irish-medium schools. In the Gaelcholáistí, it is proving extremely challenging to get teachers who can take subjects like woodwork and metalwork - home economics is a particular problem - trí mheán na Gaeilge. Do we have a specific plan to help our...

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (7 Dec 2022)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I echo Deputy Howlin's comments regarding how interesting it is to reflect on the agenda of the EU Council meeting and how we could not have foreseen many of the items on it when we look back to the start of the Taoiseach's tenure. It is interesting in the context of not just those items on the agenda but even those items that have slipped off it. Deputy Gannon made a good point regarding...