Results 4,381-4,400 of 10,120 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (22 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 154. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will set out the full range of allowances payable to members of the Defence Forces deploying even for short periods to the Special Training Command in Strasbourg, Germany in support to the EUs Military Assistance Mission in Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). [14274/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 220. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 490 of 28 February 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to answer the question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14219/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 221. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases of robbery of an institution or establishment that were reported to gardaí in the B district within DMR in 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14220/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: 222. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if any gardaí went overseas for specialist training course for which that training is not available within the State in 2022 and to-date in 2023; if so, the name of the specialist course; the duration of that course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14221/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses for attending and for their very helpful opening statements. I will start with Mr. Convey. It was interesting to hear him say that when primary school students go into post-primary school, they have a lack of full understanding of STEM. What could we recommend to rectify that problem? Is it the absence of any awareness of technology and engineering or is it broader...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: What level of understanding should a child in primary school who is about to enter post-primary school have when it comes to technology and engineering? Is it just an awareness of what it is involved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have a question for Mr. Duffy. I very much agree with what he said about maths. Many people are intimidated by it in secondary school. Of course, they should not be. Those who are able to do it, may not find the ability to do it or are not liberated in order to understand it. What can be done to make it a more appealing subject to people who are going into secondary school?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Presumably, trying to make it more fun for students is something that should be started in primary school and not just waiting until post-primary school.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Before I come to Mr. Jones, I note Mr. Duffy spoke about the leaving certificate syllabus being too long. What would he like to see gone from it? Not that he would like to see anything gone from the syllabus, but how could it be reduced? What would he drop or would he try to make it less intensive in terms of the broader areas that are covered?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: In his statement, Mr. Jones mentioned he believes the junior certificate science cycle is being dumbed down. Will he elaborate on that? Since I was in school, there is a new subject, physics and chemistry, that students can take for the leaving certificate. It is one subject that involves the study of both areas. Is Mr. Jones concerned that this may be dumbing down science as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes. There is a subject for the leaving certificate that combines physics and chemistry. Is Mr. Jones concerned that this may be dumbing down science?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: We are covering too much in the junior cert cycle and Mr. Jones would like to see a lesser curriculum that is examined in more depth.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank all three witnesses for coming before the committee. I am very interested to hear what they have had to say. Professor Looney mentioned the higher performing cohort in mathematics in Ireland. Sometimes, we do not give sufficient attention to that higher performing cohort of students. She indicated, as did a previous witness before the committee, that we do not compare that well...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: When should we be identifying that higher performing cohort? What should we be doing to bring them up to the standard of their international peers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2023)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Professor Looney. Turning to Dr. Kyne, I was interested in the statistics in THEA's submission regarding the participation of women in PhD studies in STEM subjects. I thought it was relatively high, but I was surprised it was 43% of-----