Results 3,541-3,560 of 5,828 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The witness may have a private conversation after the meeting, but please do not name names here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Is the witness saying that there is no dedicated project manager within the Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Mr. Bergin is correct that there seems to be a complete lack of collaboration between State stakeholders and inconsistency in the way projects are rolled out. I smiled ironically when Mr. Bergin said that he was told that his school was fortunate to be on a list. South Kildare was on the list in 2015 for another secondary school, as Mr. Bergin knows, but it dropped off the list. Sometimes...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We seek equity and fairness. If a school project appears on the list, there is an expectation that it will be delivered. There is a sense of sheer frustration in schools and communities and among parents. There are parents present who know what the reality is. When their children started in first year, there was a sense that they were trying to work together. Unfortunately, so much time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Is the Deputy sure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The committee will make recommendations to the Minister, not just in respect of the specific schools but in general in order to make sure we will not encounter these issues again. On behalf of the committee, I thank Ms Carr, Mr. Bergin and Mr. Burke for their attendance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I remind members and witnesses to please turn off their mobile phones or switch them to flight mode. The purpose of this part of the meeting is to have an engagement with officials from the Department of Education and Skills on the matter of the lapse in time between the announcement of the construction of new schools and the time at which their construction is completed. On behalf of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: There will be an opportunity then for members to have an engagement with Mr. Power and Ms O'Neill. Before we begin, I wish to draw the witnesses' attention to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the Chairman to cease giving evidence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Loftus. I appreciate that. Can I say, without having consulted with my fellow members, that we will be very happy to take him up on his offer of a meeting in Tullamore to examine the forward planning area? That would be very helpful. I thank him also for the offer to respond on the particular issues in the three schools because when I saw the submission from the Department I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I have no doubt that the delegates will not have all of the information to hand on the schools about which we have asked, but it would be appreciated if they corresponded with the clerk to the committee within the next week or so. We will circulate the answers to any of the queries on which they do not have the information to hand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: That is fine. Deputy Lahart is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I have a few questions, including specific questions about St. Paul's secondary school in Monasterevin. In my role as Chair, I have some questions relating to the overall delivery within the country. I have about seven of those so I propose to go to them first. I have a question about the Department's rapid building programme, the time savings between this process and the ordinary process,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We will allow Ms O'Neill and Mr. Power to come in and if we do not get specific answers, we will come back again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Hear, hear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Power. I believe Mr. Power will deal with the geographical information system, GIS.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Mr. Power said he would refer to south Kildare.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: On that point, the GIS system is slightly skewed, particularly in respect of the Newbridge area, because of the fact that a private school is included. We cannot say there is an element of choice if a school place costs €8,000 a year for a child to go there. I definitely think that has a negative impact on the figures that are being used. We cannot say those places are open for any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Schools Building Programme Delays: Discussion (17 Apr 2018)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I absolutely believe that there is more of a crisis in Newbridge than Mr. Power is indicating. Over the last two or three years, parents have been approaching me on a regular basis who cannot get their children into schools. I accept that it is specific schools that they are trying to get their children into. However, parents are also concerned about the element of choice of education....