Results 5,581-5,600 of 5,761 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Through the Chair, Deputy Byrne.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Can the Senator conclude soon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Senator can come back in later. The last point is very interesting and I understand there are three separate sets of data - those of the CSO, those of the preliminary census and those of the Department. It is a bit of a quagmire when it comes to deciding which we should be using.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister will respond directly after Deputy Daly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I will hand back to the Minister now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I absolutely share Deputy Clare Daly's view on that because there are very dedicated committed teachers working in difficult situations who are struggling with the pay parity issue. Many teachers are affected by this and feel they are being penalised. I also feel they are being penalised. We will agree our work programme later but on 27 October we hope to have representatives from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: That is the $1 million question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We have had a brief debate but we are waiting with bated breath for the Minister's reply to Senator Gallagher's question on the third level issue. The third level sector is competing within the education budget, which, in turn, is competing with those of all other Departments. According to the most recent OECD survey, average spending on education between 2008 and 2013 increased by 8% among...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We had agreed that we would discuss a number of subheads consecutively, but I will take them together and members can indicate if they have questions. Subhead A, second and early years education is first. Then there is skills development, higher education, a matter we have dealt with to a large extent, capital services, a matter we have also dealt with to a large extent, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: To be fair, that is not really relevant to the Estimates. It is more of a policy issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: He might. The Minister can see that the crisis over third-level funding engages this committee significantly. I assure him that when we enter private session we will be agreeing a work programme in this regard. There is to be a very substantive piece on consultation with all the relevant stakeholders in respect of the Cassells report. As has been mentioned by my colleagues, we are facing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: On a point of clarification, the Minister mentioned that the action plan is in draft from and he would welcome an input by the committee. I understood that the plan had been published and was in final form.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister for his clarification. We need to add consideration of the action plan to our work programme later. To clarify, I made a point about preschools and understanding the important role played by the Department. I tried to acknowledge the frustrations preschool operators have voiced about having to deal with four different Departments. They feel under-appreciated and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Deputy Cannon has indicated a wish to comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister and his officials for their input today. We appreciate his frankness and openness to discussion. We appreciate the level of commitment he and his officials have shown in improving the level of detail and the quality and type of information he has given to us as a committee as part of the Estimates process. It is a good opportunity to allow us as members, as well as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 26 – Department of Education and Skills (29 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Do not forget Deputy Shane Cassells.

Other Questions: Ministerial Meetings (28 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: 17. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on her recent meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27388/16]

Other Questions: Ministerial Meetings (28 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: My question relates to the Tánaiste's recent meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. For all of us the preservation of the common travel area between Ireland and the UK, which has existed since the foundation of the State, is vital given the benefits that accrue from it. That there are 300 formal Border crossing points and many more informal ones...

Other Questions: Ministerial Meetings (28 Sep 2016)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I acknowledge, as the Tánaiste said, the good relationship between the PSNI and the Garda, and between the relevant Departments. While the British Government has made positive statements that there will be no return to a hard Border, the UK's desire to limit immigration may certainly create difficulties in that regard. If the UK wishes to prevent immigration to the UK through the...