Results 3,181-3,200 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Ministerial Meetings (16 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: 30. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on his contact with the President of the European Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, since his state of the Union address. [40345/17]

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Select Committee (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I wish to comment.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Select Committee (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: It is all right. Like others, I welcome the Minister of State here today. This is an enormously important Bill for the institutes of technology around the country, for the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Cork Institute of Technology which are two of the larger institutes of technology and where mergers with other institutes of technology have also been part of the proposals. As...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Select Committee (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I merely want to mention one issue to the Minister of State.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Select Committee (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Select Committee (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Can I just finish my sentence? I want to raise the poor terms and conditions under which staff, such as assistant lecturers, are recruited. As these are the principal prized postgraduate qualified staff in Ireland, the way they are being treated makes no sense from the State's point of view. As things stand many of them will get up and leave. They are not being treated in a fair and equal way.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Have a number of the institutes of technology specifically requested that? There were a series of mergers mentioned previously as a possibility. At this stage, is the Minister of State aware of which institutions continue to seek collective status and which want go-alone status?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Clarifying this is very important for every institute of technology. Is the Minister of State suggesting there is a timeline over which she wishes to see this completed? Is there a transition period and how long is it likely to be? Is there a numbers threshold? That might be what affects Athlone. Does it mean, in effect, that unless an institute is in a consortium or group, it will not...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Two or more than two?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Sorry, yes.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I want to ask the Minister of State a similar question. In this legislation, is there not an implication that the existing institutions within the institutes of technology travel with the institute to the new technological university? If a student union already exists, as it does in all the institutes of technology, would it not carry over to the technological university?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: What the student union would seek is, to some degree, consequent on the fact that it may be nervous that in a new constitution its autonomous power could be diminished. For example, it might have to have constant reference to whoever is head of the institution. Some of the institutions have a history of being patriarchal. We need clarity on the Minister of State's approach because,...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: Going back to the earlier discussion, I would be grateful if the Minister of State clarified the following. If, for instance, an institution in some part of the country is on its own and does not have an obvious partner, or has a partner indicated by the Department but does not want to join with that particular partner, will the Minister of State confirm that the institution is free to put...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: This is very important. Deputy Byrne asked the Minister of State earlier - and I would like it confirmed - whether the Government is actually committing to the retention of all the institutes of technology and the campuses in the diverse locations in which they exist around the country. For instance, in Blanchardstown, and similarly in Tallaght, the student population is relatively small...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: With respect to section 22(1)(b), I would like an assurance from the Minister of State that citizens-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: No, I am referring to section 22.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: No, it is on the section. I seek an assurance from the Minister of State on an aspect of it. The section refers to, "education and training that reflect the needs of citizens, business, enterprise", and so on. Will she give an assurance that citizens within that meaning include people who are residents of the area as opposed to some precise constitutional meaning of a passport holder. ...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: The Minister of State is confirming that it is a generic term that applies.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: That is fine. I thank the Minister of State for that.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (15 Nov 2017)

Joan Burton: I am not a lawyer at the Bar, so I will leave that to the Deputy.