Results 261-280 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Architectural Heritage (24 Apr 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: There is something interesting for all of us who are from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. I see that my notes here mention the telephone box in Foxrock.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Architectural Heritage (24 Apr 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It was erected in 1926. That shows the wide range of structures across the county. This is thought to be the last surviving example of this type of telephone box in the country.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Architectural Heritage (24 Apr 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It looks good.

Provision of Objective Sex Education Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (18 Apr 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank those who have proposed this Bill which addresses an important matter that my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, has moved to address. The provision of sex education is an issue of concern. That it was the subject of an ancillary recommendation of the Citizens' Assembly when it considered the eighth amendment of the Constitution is a reflection...

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputy Aindrias Moynihan for the question. SUSI uses Google Maps. We can certainly take on board what the Deputy has just said. Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for 2011-12. These included the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 km to 45 km. The 24 km criterion...

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We have looked at it and we believe that it is a transparent process. I hear the Deputy's comments but the process does indicate the shortest distance from A to B. As I said, we use Google Maps. I hear the Deputy's argument, but at the moment there is no review under way.

Other Questions: Student Grant Scheme Administration (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: There is an appeals system in place and we have specialist equipment to check the shortest distance. There is an appeals system in place.

Other Questions: Technological Universities Data (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Deputy for the interest he has shown in the technological university, TU, for the south east. He has been a great supporter for that designation. I also thank all the stakeholders for the work they have done so far and the work that is being done in the application process now for TU designation. The development of TUs is a key priority of the Government. Once operational,...

Other Questions: Technological Universities Data (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We have a pot of money for 2018 and I outlined the indicative budget for 2019. However, the drawdown will depend on the progress the consortia make. Some are ahead of others. I will invite all the consortia to meet departmental and HEA officials to help them make successful applications. The Minister and I, and the Department, want the TU applications to be successful. As they progress,...

Other Questions: Technological Universities Data (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: No, we are committed as a Government to the four consortia coming together to form four TUs. There will be money but there will not be as much money if a consortium falls behind. Money will be available in 2019 and 2020. These are long-term projects and we want them to succeed. They will change the landscape for students and for regional development.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Diaspora Issues (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Senator Lawless for raising this important matter. I will try to answer the three questions he asked. The current position is that to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss nationality in their own right and have been ordinarily resident in an EU-EEA state or Switzerland...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Diaspora Issues (29 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: No. I will leave what I have said. The Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, will report to the Cabinet.

Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Will Deputy Ó Broin stop interrupting the Tánaiste?

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As Senators will be aware, we recently discussed at some length an amendment on the elements they considered appropriate to the ethos of a technological university related to section 9. They are seeking to include such elements or a further elaboration on them in a new stand-alone section. I do not take the view that such an approach is appropriate. The Bill does not purport in any section...

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will repeat myself by pointing out that I have highlighted, in considerable detail, the various elements cited by the Senator, specifically creativity, autonomy, intellectual inquiry, innovation and engaged citizenship, all of which are included in the text. The proposed amendment is surplus to requirements because all of these elements are written features on pages 11, 12 and 13 of the Bill.

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Internationally, the size and composition of governing authorities of higher education institutions have been changing. The model generally favoured is a more managerial one, with a smaller number of members and a majority of non-academic, lay or external members. The OECD report on higher education in Ireland was critical of the size of university governing authorities and recommended that...

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Section 16 provides that academic staff shall form the majority of the academic council of a technological university. Subsection (2) provides the governing body of each technological university, including its student members, with the flexibility to decide for itself the overall number of members the academic council should have, including the number of students. This is in line with the...

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: That would limit the autonomy and flexibility of the technological university in deciding how many students it should have on the academic council. I should also point out that an academic council may establish as many committees as it considers necessary to assist it in the performance of its functions. That gives an opportunity to provide for additional representation, including student...

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As the Senator is aware, I am a strong advocate of gender equality. I outlined in some detail on Committee Stage the broad actions I am taking in seeking to achieve gender equality in higher education. A number of specific provisions relating to gender equality are contained in the Bill, which I also outlined on Committee Stage. Regarding amendment No. 15, section 19(6) requires a...

Seanad: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (8 Mar 2018)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Yes, I certainly do. Section 28, on page 27, sets out the eligibility criteria to be met by institutions that wish to become technological universities. The criteria are based on the original criteria set out in the Higher Education Authority's document, Towards a Future Higher Education Landscape. They present a realistic and ambitious set of targets for applicant institutes seeking to...