Results 301-320 of 2,965 for speaker:Robert Dowds

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Okay. Can I show Mr. Boland an article by Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin of Athlone Institute of Technology that has been presented to me? It suggests that the Government cares more about seagulls than students. I really think it is a rather frivolous way to describe it. The point of showing it is that I want to know whether there is a serious lack of funding, or underfunding,...

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: I was surprised to note that the income dropped a bit from 2013 to 2014. I would have thought it would have been at the stage where it might start increasing again.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Could I ask about the issue of compliance? At an earlier meeting of this committee, it was suggested that the HEA would establish a compliance unit to ensure all colleges were managing their affairs appropriately. Can Mr. Boland give me an update on that?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Is Mr. Boland satisfied that the National College of Art and Design is being sorted out because it seemed to be an unholy mess at the time its representatives appeared before the committee?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: So basically the HEA is standing behind to see that everything is-----

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: I thank Mr. Boland.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: How long will it be before it is fully straightened out?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: It sounds like there is a bit to go yet.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Is the Comptroller and Auditor General satisfied that things are moving in the right direction? Is he sufficiently in touch with recent developments there to-----

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: How soon was the HEA aware of its difficulties or did the college hide them from the authority for some time as well?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Was that because the HEA did not have sufficient checks and balances in place?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Does that partly explain why there is a new board and so on there?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Could I just move on to a more general-----

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: We would be interested to see that report. I have a more general question about the financial standing of institutes of technology. Is any of them in financial trouble? If so, which ones and what can be done to assist them? In particular, I ask Mr. Boland to comment on one the Comptroller and Auditor General flagged earlier, namely, Dundalk Institute of Technology, which Mr. Boland...

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: Has the HEA identified reasons the institutions Mr. Boland listed have got into difficulty whereas others he did not mention obviously have not got into difficulty?

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: In any case Mr. Boland is satisfied that none of them is in danger of collapse or anything like that.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: I am sure some of them tie in considerably with some local economic and industrial development and so on.

Public Accounts Committee: Higher Education Authority: Financial Statements 2014 (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: My last question is on the pension situation. In simplistic terms it seems there are two different pension schemes, one of which is primarily attached to older people and the other for younger people and one of them is in some difficulty and the other is in surplus. Can Mr. Boland explain how pensions are paid? It strikes me that it is different here from some other areas of education, for...