Results 4,761-4,780 of 5,762 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Smith. Our final contributor is Mr. Tom Parlon, the director general of the Construction Industry Federation and a former esteemed Member of the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Carey. I will open the meeting to members who may wish to ask questions. Deputy Burton is up first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank all the witnesses for their statements. They will have an opportunity to respond to questions in a moment. I will not delay proceedings much further. However, having heard the figures on what is needed in hospitality and tourism and construction, it appears we are facing a bottleneck in terms of having adequately trained and prepared staff to service these industries. A major...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Review of Skills and Apprenticeship Schemes: Discussion (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. O'Toole and all of the witnesses for their contributions, attendance and submissions and opening statements. We also received submissions from other groups and organisations with an interest in this area. I thank those who came to listen to the proceedings this evening. We very much appreciate their time and attention. If they feel there is something they would like to add to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We discussed the arrangements for this meeting at our last one, so I suggest we move ahead. We do not need to go into the preamble again. I need to leave the meeting for approximately 15 minutes at 4.45 p.m. to go to the Dáil, so I suggest Deputy Martin acts as Chairman during that time. Is that agreed? Agreed. I am also conscious the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, has to leave...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The second part of this meeting, which will start at 5.15 p.m., will address skills development and apprenticeships. The committee recognises that it is hugely important for a modern economy that we do all we can to help support skills development and the skills development system. Regarding subhead B5, the metrics are very useful in terms of looking at this. There were 12 key high...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for the clarification. I will now open questions on the other subheads in programme B.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Is there anything else on programme B?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We will now move on to programme C, higher education. I propose we start with subhead C4, universities, institutes of technology and others being granted aid, and subhead C11, student support and related expenses.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I take it Deputy Catherine Martin is talking about the Wake Up SUSI campaign, which we heard about eight months ago. It is probably only a small number of students who are affected but the feeling of the committee at the time was that they deserve the same level of support. One thing that struck us was that the CAO form does not specify that these colleges are not covered by SUSI grants....

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We also have to take into account the 12,000 Irish students currently studying in England and Northern Ireland. In the event of a hard Brexit, we may have to cater for these extra numbers. Approximately 2,000 of those students currently avail of SUSI grants.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I said at the start we would not stray into policy areas but I support what Deputy Catherine Martin said. I had a conversation with the clerk to the committee earlier and we will table that issue at our next meeting in terms of a recommendation that we could make to the Minister.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I am going to move on to other subheads in programme C. If members have any questions, please indicate which subhead they wish to speak about?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I refer to teacher training colleges specifically. In regard to budgetary allocations, I had a meeting with principals in my constituency of Kildare South last Monday week and one of the key things they felt was needed was far more training in the teacher training colleges and afterwards around mental health, supporting positive mental health in schools, special needs and autistic spectrum...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I appreciate that. For the Minister's information, we had a committee session around the whole area of positive mental health and we invited a number of witnesses. We will be in the process of finalising our report to the Minister in the coming weeks and we look forward to sending that on to him for his observations. We now move to programme D, capital services, which is on page 26 of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It is some 15 years since the devolved grant was brought into policy and I can see the fruits of that within my own county. However, I have not heard much about it recently and I wonder whether it is still being used to the same extent. It certainly seemed to be a very good use of money. I am conscious that subhead D3 also provides for grants towards rental of temporary school premises,...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister. Do members have any other questions on subhead D?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I would like to make a point in support of Deputy Byrne. Sometimes there is a lack of consultation with local communities about the proposed use of an old school. I have, however, seen really good results. For example, in Rathangan where I am from, the old vocational school became a day care centre. Step-down housing was also built for old people, which was fantastic. The new boys'...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: And so there should be.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Resumed)
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised) (16 May 2017)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I suggest that we ask the Minister to come back to us with best case examples of that. It would certainly seem appropriate to look at further educational use if a building is being deployed for a particular reason. If not, however, a possible further community use should be the fall-back position. I think we have concluded this part of the meeting, so I wish to thank the Minister, Deputy...