Results 4,121-4,140 of 9,147 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: When does the Minister think that we will get certainty on minimum essential qualifications for SNAs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank all of the witnesses for coming before the committee today. It is important we keep a focus on the reason we want to see accreditation and minimum qualifications, which is the importance of the role SNAs play in the education and development of children. I do not look on this from the point of view of SNAs as individuals but on the importance of the child who is so dependent upon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: What is Ms Jordan's assessment of where here students would be?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: From Ms O'Mahony's assessment as an SNA and with respect to the children for whom she is responsible, where would they be in their educational development if they did not have an SNA available to them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Revised Criteria for Qualifications of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (21 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: If a level 7 qualification is introduced, is that going to be inconvenient or problematic for SNAs who are there at present? How is that upskilling going to happen? Is it going to be a requirement?

Special Educational Needs: Statements (16 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Every Member of this House who speaks on this topic does so with great empathy and in a very well-intentioned way. The objective of all of us is to ensure that children with special educational needs have an easy and certain passage into education. However, from the point of view of their parents who inspire us all so much, empathy and understanding from us is not enough. It really rests...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (16 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: 436. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí assigned to each Garda station in the Milford Garda district as of 31 May 2022 or the latest date available; the number of vehicles assigned to each Garda station in the Milford district as of 31 May 2022 or the latest date available; and the figures for both gardaí and vehicles assigned to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Moloney and his staff for coming before the committee. I agree with him when he says there are benefits to secondments in staff being able to broaden their skills and continue their professional and personal development. Would I be correct in saying that we have an issue in Ireland with retired Secretaries General and what to do with them when their seven years are up and they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: The reason I asked the question is that I am conscious, as I am sure Mr. Moloney is, that in recent times we have had two Secretaries General who have gone on to become ambassadors. The Secretaries General referred to in Mr. Moloney’s submission to the committee have gone on into third level institutions. All of them are highly qualified and talented people but the impression I get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: When did the seven-year term for Secretaries General come in? I should know that myself and I apologise that I do not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Between 1984 and 2011, from Mr. Moloney's recollection what was the general pathway for Secretaries General whose seven years had expired but who had not reached retirement age? Where did they generally go?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: So they retired.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Prior to 2011, the vast majority of them, having done their terms as Secretaries General, retired irrespective of their age. Would that be fair to say?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: The point that Mr. Moloney is making to the committee is that this is as a result of the changes brought in during 2011 as a result of the financial crisis at that time. Does that mean they simply cannot retire if they want to avail of their full pension entitlement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: The individuals are fine individuals and I make no criticism of them. My understanding is that one of them was from the Department of Foreign Affairs and another was outside that Department. Is that something that is generally seen as being available to retiring Secretaries General, that they can become an ambassador? I am not asking Mr. Moloney to disclose any interests he may have in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: When it comes to appointment as an ambassador, these are jobs that are not generally advertised. They may be notified internally in the Department of Foreign Affairs. I can understand why they would not be advertised. In respect of someone who is going into an academic institution, the policy issue or the public concern voiced by many Members of the House of the Oireachtas was that if a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: From the point of view of the third level institution, it is not costing it anything in terms of taking on the Secretary General in a new position. Is that a fair assessment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Secondment Policy in the Civil and Public Service: Engagement with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2022)

Jim O'Callaghan: The payment of the Secretaries General involved are made by the third level institution but obviously they are funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.