Results 721-740 of 10,554 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Funding for the National Apprenticeship programme is determined through the annual Estimates process, led by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. In advance of Budget 2025 on the 1st October, my department published the Funding the Future - An annual options paper on the cost of higher education 2024, on the 16th September, which can be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department is aware of issues regarding ebook licencing and is engaging with the higher education sector and the Department of Rural and Community Development who have responsibility for public libraries. Those discussions are at an early stage. In terms of supports for students, I am conscious of the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Student Assistance Fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of my Department. The HEA allocates funding based on the academic year to each of the universities, Institutes of Technology, the Colleges of Education and a number of other higher education bodies. The core allocation for the SAF is €9.1 million per annum and increases were secured for this academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (24 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As a part of Budget 2025, I intend to continue removing barriers to education to assist students in reaching their full potential or pursuing their goals and getting to where they want to in life. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Estimates process in ongoing. While I cannot pre-empt the budgetary process addressing costs for families and learners and supporting disadvantaged students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (19 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Awaiting reply from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am aware that Cardinal Health Ireland Ltd issued a collective redundancy notification on 29 August 2024 in respect of 308 positions over a 15 month period from April 2025 to June 2026. Clearly the potential loss of these jobs is most regrettable and I understand that my colleague Minister Burke’s Department is working with the company management and with staff on current and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am aware of the very challenging context for female Afghani students. To avail of funding under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) or the Student Grant Scheme, students must meet the criteria of the respective schemes including the residency and nationality criteria. All students, including Irish Nationals or persons granted International Protection are required to meet the residency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department and officials do not use AI services in the course of their duties, as such no policy is in place currently. My Department will continue to monitor developments in relation to AI and the other models referenced by the Deputy, in particular with regard to potential applications that may be identified by other Government Departments.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department and officials do not use AI to generate official text. My Department will continue to monitor developments in relation to AI, in particular with regard to potential applications that may be identified by other Government Departments. The information in respect of aegis bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Higher Education: The HEA collects data on students with disabilities from two data sources: the number of students supported by the Fund for Students with Disabilities and the number of students reported as having a disability from the Equal Access Survey, a voluntary set of questions asked of first years in higher education each year. The table below represents the number of new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All”, which aims to ensure that the profile of the apprenticeship population better reflects the general population. Action 8.3 of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 commits to deliver a bursary programme for apprentices who are experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Thank you for bringing to my attention the concerns of your constituent regarding Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programmes in Ireland. The places in Queens University Belfast (QUB) on Medicine programmes do not include GEM programmes and only applies to students who have not attended third level education previously. Further information regarding the arrangement with QUB is available...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students (ie: assessed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 838, 839, 840 and 841 together. Athena Swan Ireland do not have a role in the allocation of funding by the HEA to higher education institutions. The allocation of recurrent grant funding to institutions is a matter for the HEA and is approved by the HEA Board. Designated institutions of higher education set out their contribution to the achievement of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am aware of the very challenging context for female Afghani students. To avail of funding under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) or the Student Grant Scheme, students must meet the criteria of the respective schemes including the residency and nationality criteria. All students, including Irish Nationals or persons granted International Protection are required to meet the residency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (18 Sep 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will be aware that Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) are being supported by SOLAS in developing their Preliminary Business Case (PBC) proposal for Swords under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund. The development of a robust PBC is fundamental to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. The proposal put forward by DDLETB is one of twelve projects...