Results 1,341-1,360 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Did Ms Stewart officially ask for additional resources?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Has-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: If we got answers to the questions we asked we would not have to repeat them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Can I confirm that Ms Stewart has talked to the Minister three times but he has not met with her personally?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: That is not the case either. Ms Stewart has received the wrong information. Students have been telling members they cannot use library facilities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I accept that Ms Stewart sincerely does not want to see a situation in which any student who is entitled to a grant is not awarded it, and she does not want to see any student drop out as a result of this fiasco, but the reality is that students are being forced to drop out. There are students who are now getting letters from their colleges asking for late fees because they have not been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Several members have asked about personnel and we deserve an answer. How many personnel did Ms Stewart request from the Department to clear the backlog? Have additional personnel and resources been put in place? I do not want an answer on the increased numbers. I want to know if SUSI asked for a specific number of personnel to clear the backlog by December and, if so, whether the request...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: With regard to adjacent and non-adjacent grants, I spoke to a student who felt the grant awarded was not correct. When she contacted SUSI to point this out she was informed she had to appeal the decision. She was never told about the review option. The witnesses should examine this because students are being told they must appeal decisions rather than have them reviewed. Perhaps there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: One question remains unanswered and perhaps the witnesses either do not want to or cannot answer it. How many additional resources or personnel were asked for and were they obtained? The witnesses keep stating they will receive X amount but what we all want to know is whether this was what they asked the Department to put in place to deal with it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Student Grant Application System: Discussion with SUSI (13 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: They may have run out of credit.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade Missions (14 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details on the recent trade mission that he led to Brazil; and his expectations of future bilateral relations with Brazil following his visit. [50097/12]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Forthcoming Education, Youth and Culture Council: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (14 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I thank the Minister for outlining some of the priorities for the Presidency in terms of education. On higher education, the Minister said we will be organising a conference focusing on the EU university multi-ranking project. Will he give the committee more information on that? He stated also that a meeting of the directors general of higher education focusing on the value of regional...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (15 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: To ask the Minister for Finance if Relevant Contracts Tax is to be made applicable to some minor school maintenance work and repairs; if consideration has been given to the likely heavy administrative workload to be incurred by boards of management and the possible difficulties that may arise with regards to ensuring tax liability and compliance; and if he will enter into negotiations with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline in detail the process of outsourcing the scanning of grant application documents to a third party in County Cork; if a cost benefit analysis was conducted prior to the awarding of the contract to the company; if the contract was put out to public tender; the cost differential of outsourcing this element of the grant application...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: With regard to the company in Cork which got the contract, the Minister said no cost benefit analysis was carried out. Unfortunately, however, there is a cost and it is being borne by the students. Nearly every Deputy has received probably in excess of 300 e-mails from students, many of whom are complaining that documentation which they previously sent in is now being requested again. This...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I will give the Minister two examples of the frustration that occurs. On 5 November, I e-mailed SUSI on behalf of a constituent. Some 14 days later, I received a response from the SUSI helpdesk about the e-mail, which I sent from my Oireachtas e-mail account to the e-mail address we were given. The response, 14 days after I first e-mailed, was that SUSI was unable to discuss the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Delays (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: The e-mail I sent inquired about the status of a particular application. I received a reply 14 days later to say SUSI could not discuss the application. It had nothing to do with bank account details.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on claims by the National Adult Learning Organisation, AONTAS, that a lack of financial support and suitable course options are the biggest challenges for adults returning to education; the efforts being made by him to integrate adult guidance with course provision, connect with employers, explore other funding models for part time...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: If the Minister of State has not seen the report I refer to I will pass on a copy to him.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Adult Education (20 Nov 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: One of the key findings of the report is the level of frustration felt by adult learners regarding the courses they are directed to take. Some felt the courses did not suit their skill sets, were leading nowhere or were not long enough to acquire the skills they needed to enter the workforce. I welcome the programme of reform being undertaken by the Department of Education and Skills. The...