Results 541-560 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Chairman and would appreciate any assistance he could give.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2017)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We will certainly push the Fianna Fáil Party in that regard.

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: This legislation is a high priority for the Government and is important and ground-breaking legislation. The Bill is seeking to establish technological universities for the first time in Ireland and that constitutes a step change for the institute of technology sector and will underpin the development of a new type of higher education institution. The Bill had been agreed on Committee Stage...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 1:In page 9, line 19, to delete "2015" and substitute "2017". The purpose of amendment No. 1 is to amend the Short Title of the Bill by deleting "2015" and inserting "2017".

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Amendments Nos. 1, 14, 24, 63, 145, 180 and 199 are all technical amendments. This includes a number of technical amendments required to delete references to certain sections of the Bill that are being deleted due to the change of the process for designation. Institutes of technology are no longer required to merge in advance of making an application to the Minister for technological...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: First, there will be no go-alone status. The whole idea is that there is to be consortia. It is to be that two, three or four institutes of technology are to come together. For example, DIT, Blanchardstown and Tallaght are interested in coming together as a consortium. Kerry and Cork are also. We have been told that Athlone is not interested at present.

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Deputy Byrne asked are the institutes of technology going alone, is the Government helping them or are we allowing them to decide themselves. For the main part, they have intimated consortia that they would like to be in. They are not going alone without any support. Even yesterday, I announced a budget. They had a budget last year. There will be budgets built in to support the formation...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I ask for time because this is important even though I think it was amendment No. 107. I am happy to deal with it now.

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am very willing to answer that.

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am at the committee's disposal. I am very willing. I was told we would start with the amendments and go through them, but I notice now that we have skipped to amendment No. 107. I have no problem whatsoever in-----

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It is amendment No. 107 because Deputy Burton has asked me to clarify. First, there is no transition period. Second, there must be more than two institutes of technology in a consortium before-----

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Does the Deputy want to hear the answer?

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It is two or more in a consortium before we can approve technological university status. That is clearly the Government's policy. We have spoken to many of the institutes. I refer again to critical mass. DIT, Tallaght IT and Blanchardstown IT together have approximately 27,000 students. Further down, it is 13,000 or 14,000. In the case of Athlone IT, there are approximately 5,500...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 2:In page 10, to delete lines 4 to 8 and substitute the following:“ “applicant college” has the meaning assigned to it by section 35; “applicant institutes” has the meaning assigned to it by section 26; “applicant technological university” has the meaning assigned to it by section 35;”. Institutes of technology...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The definition in the Bill, subject to amendment No. 8, provides clarity on the roles relating to the consultation on disputes resolution procedures and nominations to governing bodies. The definition also includes a reference to other student representatives bodies, ensuring the definition includes the possibility of there being more than one student representative body in an institution in...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: No, I reject the proposed amendment. The entire statement relates to the independence of the student union and no corresponding insertions are needed relating to governance or accountability for the funding channelled to the student union. We have spoken with the Union of Students in Ireland and we will continue to speak with them.

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 3:In page 10, to delete lines 9 to 14 and substitute the following:" "Director", other than in the definition of "statutory body", means, in relation to a college within the meaning of the Act of 1992, a person appointed under section 9 of that Act;".

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 4:In page 10, line 31, to delete "an institute, a merged institute or a technological university" and substitute "an institute or a technological university". Amendment No. 4 is a consequential technical amendment which deletes the term "merged institute" and substitutes "applicant institute". An applicant institute is defined in section 26 as two or more institutes...

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 5:In page 10, line 38, to delete "or a merged institute established under section 10(2)(b)or section 18(2)(b)".

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

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I move amendment No. 6:In page 11, to delete lines 1 and 2 and substitute the following:" "institute" means—".