Results 721-740 of 10,778 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2025 (16 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Budget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost of living. These cost of living measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for Free Fees eligible higher education students. Under the progression criteria of the Free Fees scheme, it is not possible for a students to avail of free fees where they are undertaking a second course...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Commissions of Investigation (16 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Since the establishment of my Department in 2020, my officials have not participated in or incurred any expenditure associated with any Commissions of Investigation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The National Retrofit Plan sets a target of installing 400,000 heat pumps into existing homes by 2030. My Department, working with partners in government departments, state agencies, and the tertiary education sector, has identified the shortage of skilled plumbers as a critical factor in achieving this target. With this in mind, heat pump technologies have been included in the revised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: An official from my Department has advised that the two students outlined by the Deputy were refused grant assistance by SUSI for the 2023/2024 academic year. The total household reckonable income for both students was assessed as over the maximum threshold for funding for a Level 8 undergraduate course based on their 2022 household reckonable income calculation. The students did not appeal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As per Article 13(3) of the Student Grant Scheme 2024, as an independent mature student the applicant must be: • 23 years of age or over on 1st January of the year when they first enter/re-enter further or higher education, and • They must have been living independently from their parents/legal guardians from the October in the year prior to their first point of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In considering the matters raised it is important to distinguish between the fees policy of an individual Higher Education Institution and the eligibility criteria of the separate student grant scheme. The higher education tuition fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety of factors including the type of course and the student's access route. The assessment of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: When my Department was established in 2020, the communications unit consisted of 2 staff members and has since grown in line with the growth of my Department to a total of 6 staff members to date. Year ending 30/06/21 30/06/22 30/06/23 09/10/2024 PO 1 1 AP 2 2 1 2 HEO 1 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: To date in 2024, my Department has run three promotional campaigns; The Building Heroes peer-to-peer social media campaign continues to grow since its launch in April, with more than three million impressions between April-August, and reaching a further 1.5 million since it started again in September. The campaign aims to change perceptions of careers in construction among the 15-25 year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the Free Fees Initiative, the State provides funding supports for students attending undergraduate higher education courses. Under the progression criteria of the scheme, it is not possible for a students to avail of free fees where they are undertaking a second course of study having previously completed an undergraduate course of study at level 8. The objective of this policy is to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes including for the motor mechanic programme, the sectoral gross wage norms are either agreed within the relevant sector through collective bargaining agreements, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court. Periods of off-the-job training are funded from the National Training Fund with payments made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: An official from my Department has advised that the student outlined by the Deputy was awarded the €500 student contribution grant by the awarding authority, SUSI, for the 2024/2025 academic year. Following a request in September for a review of their application due to a reduction in household income, SUSI requested further documentation from the student in support of the declared...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Official Engagements (15 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Minister has attended international events and engagements where the media has been in attendance. However, as the media organisations were not part of the Ministers’ delegation no costs were incurred by this Department for their attendance.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. As the Deputy may be aware, the Student Grant Scheme provides maintenance grants to eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (10 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department was established in mid-2020. Following its establishment, my officials contracted Crowe Ireland on a consultancy basis to assist with the development of the organisational structure and operations of the new Government. Department details are supplied below and are also published here: . Company Crowe Ireland Date March 2021 Report...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans for Further and Higher Education: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (9 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Chairman. I thank the committee for rescheduling this meeting, which was due to be held in the summer but was postponed due to a bereavement. I thank my officials for joining me today. My Department is committed to supporting the success of all learners and drive improvements in the overall performance of the tertiary education system as well as providing continued support...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans for Further and Higher Education: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (9 Oct 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In the three-year period between 2021 and 2023, 1,526 were recorded as having left their apprenticeship. The total apprenticeship population-----