Results 2,401-2,420 of 2,735 for speaker:Marie Louise O'Donnell
- Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: In 2009, I wrote an article about the banks entitled "A person of no consequence" for The Irish Times. I am telling Members about it today because the article is more relevant than ever at this time. I believe we are people of no consequence as the tapes of the conversations among bankers have comprehensively revealed. We know now, with a certain outstanding evidence, that the Anglo Irish...
- Seanad: Order of Business (25 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: Hear, hear.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: If colleges make them eligible to sit their exams they then have a right to know their results.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: SUSI has come in for an enormous amount of bashing. It is very important that students are equally as responsible for their applications, documentation and answering the parameters. I have 35 years of experience with students. I hate the phrase "Come up to the plate" because it is so illiterate, but it is their responsibility to know about application forms and have all their eligible...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: It should also be noted that parents who pay because they are not eligible for grants also suffer at the hands of universities that will not allow their students to use the libraries or attend certain courses until their fee is in. This applies to the goose and the gander. It does not affect only those who are eligible for grants. I have been the butt of that myself until the cheque came...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: I sympathise with some of the Deputies here because I do not have a constituency. Senators are not supposed to have constituencies.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: Exactly. We are talking about a lot of money. New applicants will require €160 million this year and the total for maintenance grants comes to €350 million. Is that correct? So €350 million was given out last year in maintenance grants. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: So the €160 million is within the €350 million?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: If SUSI awarded grants in 56.7% of cases, which represents 39,524 students, is that a lot of money for that number of students?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: That is everything.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: SUSI needs to seriously examine the issue of eligibility, because 30,000 students were ineligible, and that is a very serious number. Students do not know what they are eligible for, or they do not know the parameters and fundamentals of the application, if 30,000 out of 60,000 have got it wrong.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: SUSI receives €7.1 million and has 88 whole-time staff. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: How much money was disbursed in grants?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: The overall figure, including new applicants, is €350 million. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: I am not Deputy Collins; I am Senator O'Donnell. I am not a Deputy quite yet.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: There is a world of difference there.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: I do not expect Deputy Collins to take second place to me either.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Third Level Student Grant System: Discussion with SUSI (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: I welcome the group to the committee. It is nice to see the faces behind the attack. I am just back on the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection so we have not met before. I think it ran quite a benevolent city. I worked in third level for 35 years so I have some idea of the grant system and what students go through and Deputy McConalogue was absolutely right, there is a...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Church of Ireland College of Education Order 2013: Motion (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: The Minister asked if we are moving towards a particular ethos. The question asked by the Deputies is a very good one. Should the State be responsible for religious education or should religious education be something independent of the schools? I understand the Protestant teacher training college, Mater Dei and other such colleges are coming under the auspices of DCU, which is a...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Church of Ireland College of Education Order 2013: Motion (19 Jun 2013)
Marie Louise O'Donnell: It is the overriding umbrella and these teacher training colleges are coming under it. It has a very secular ethos.