Results 5,601-5,620 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Schools Amalgamation (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Perhaps that is the way it should happen but, unfortunately, that is not what is currently happening on the ground. I will give the Minister two examples. The first is in Dublin 10 where there is a proposal by a patron body to amalgamate a number of schools and close one national school. The school it is proposing to close has specially built autism units while the school with which it is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I want to focus on people under the age of 23 who may be estranged from their parents. I will give two examples of the difficulties that are being caused. I know of a student who has provided SUSI with letters from her local general practitioner, from the counselling services within her college and from other Government Departments stating that she is estranged from her parents. I am...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: That is correct.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I appreciate that. I want to record that the SUSI system has been much improved this year. Great advances have been made. The number of cases coming into my office this year is quite small. I had to deal with hundreds of cases last year. We are talking about a small number of cases of parental estrangement. I will mention the example of a woman under the age of 23 who is married and is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the anomalies within the Student Universal Support Ireland grant application system that are causing extreme hardship for many students. [9431/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Student Grant Scheme Eligibility (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: My question relates to Student Universal Support Ireland and the anomalies and hardship the criterion of estrangement is creating for students.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is concerned at some of the lessons that are being taught to children by external groups in schools for sex education; and if he is concerned at some of the teaching methods they use which have been the subject of recent media reports. [9162/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Amalgamation (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 133. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to recent proposals by religious patrons to close a number of primary schools across the State and the consequences this will have for children and communities. [9165/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff Recruitment (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the staffing shortage in the third level sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9164/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Funding (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 146. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which he will receive the Higher Education Authority report on funding third level education. [9215/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 467. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the proposed fire station in Kanturk, County Cork, which was announced in 2007; when work will commence on this fire station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9246/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks (20 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: 113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties faced by schools such as a school (details supplied) in Dublin 5, who worked hard to introduce a book rental scheme and as a result are not now entitled to the grant of €150 per pupil attending DEIS schools to set up book schemes; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that their...

Recent Flooding: Statements (Resumed) (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: As the Minister of State is aware, the recent flooding in Cork was pretty bad, but it was not the first time there was flooding in the city. There is a history of flooding, unfortunately, dating back to the very bad floods in 2009 that caused considerable structural damage to a number of buildings and damaged homes and businesses. Cork has long been in the process of planning to build flood...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Quality and Standards in Schools: Chief Inspector at Department of Education and Skills (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Before the meeting concludes, may I have an answer to my question on special education?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Quality and Standards in Schools: Chief Inspector at Department of Education and Skills (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I seek a one-line response on who inspects the inspectors.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Quality and Standards in Schools: Chief Inspector at Department of Education and Skills (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I wish to make two points. In the area of self-evaluation, I take it that the entire school community would be involved in that - parents, teachers and pupils. I seek clarification on that. Will Dr. Hislop give us more information on what the detailed school inspections entail? Would the inspectors look at the provision of special education within a school? Would they inspect that as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Progamme Fees: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: It was about networking. Ms O'Brien and Ms Doyle referred to networking but it was not a particular question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Progamme Fees: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Does Ms O'Brien recognise that one of the most intractable fees - which is how she described it - is in respect of programme validation? She said that she is seeking to incentivise providers to make applications for validation in one submission. She also said that she is encouraging providers to think strategically about programme requirements over a longer period of time. Mr. Vaughan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Progamme Fees: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (19 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: Could it be done as part of the FET strategy or is it a separate piece of work?

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion [Private Members] (18 Feb 2014)

Jonathan O'Brien: I move: That Dáil Éireann:notes— that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to provide an independent and effective civilian oversight of policing in this State; — that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has a hugely important role in ensuring that...