Results 2,681-2,700 of 9,820 for speaker:Thomas Byrne
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: I have already made my proposal. If the committee is okay with it, that is how we will proceed.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: If somebody had indicated I might have had another option, but no one indicated.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta McLoughlin. I will ask my questions now. There is no time limit on this. People will be able to come back as often as they want to ask whatever questions they want to.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: I propose to proceed as set out, that is, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, the Green Party, and then the two Government representatives.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Okay, I will look for proposals for an alternative order then.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Has anybody indicated? If Sinn Féin is proposing that other parties get in ahead of it, that is Sinn Féin's business.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: I have two indicating.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: It is fine. If Deputy Funchion is happy for the Government to go ahead of her, that is fine.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: The Deputy was not here when I was chosen. She could have asked that somebody else chaired the meeting. My colleague is sick.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Things have worked out to the Deputy's advantage. That is absolutely fine. I have no difficulty with it. It makes no odds to me. This was the traditional way things proceeded when a Minister was attending a committee.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Okay. The job is done. I have two indicating.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: I congratulate Deputy O'Loughlin; he is second. It is over. The matter is dealt with. I will begin my questions. The growth in the number of school places seems to be slowing somewhat, despite what appears to be a substantial increase in the capital budget for schools in 2019. Can the Minister explain this? Can he tell us the position regarding construction inflation? Is it a big...
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Is the growth in construction costs affecting the Minister's capital budget? Is it part of the reason that there was a large capital budget this year given the fact that the growth in the number of additional primary and post-primary school places being provided is slowing, as is spending per student on enhancement and replacement of post-primary school facilities? Are there other reasons...
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: We are proceeding programme by programme. Programme A relates to current and capital expenditure on primary, second level, and early years education.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: I am putting no limit on the time available.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: In the Revised Estimates 48 PE halls and 200 laboratories are provided for this year. What is the procedure for getting one of these PE halls replaced or refurbished? Are these already on lists? Are planning applications pending? Will they be built this year at all?
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Do these 48 PE halls form part of the 130 major projects that will be completed this year?
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: There are 48 this year and many schools throughout the country do not have PE halls, including one in Deputy Catherine Martin's constituency. Can that school now apply to the Department for a PE hall to be one of the 48?
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: I have to stop you there. We are dealing with the Revised Estimates for 2019. I am more than happy to have a discussion about the capital plan for the next ten years, but we are talking about this year's Estimates.
- Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (26 Feb 2019) Thomas Byrne: Unfortunately I have to put this on the record. I know some members took umbrage at the speaking rota I put forward. That rota is as set out in the chairing guidelines. I accept that members were not happy with that, but that was my only motivation and it is how things were done previously. It is set out that party spokespersons would be called first. That is the only reason I did it. I...