Results 741-760 of 10,490 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department is running a number of promotional activities this year to encourage more young people to consider a career in construction, and to increase the number of people working in the sector. These include a peer-to-peer social media campaign, documentary aimed at second-level students dispelling myths around what a career in construction is like, another documentary on Modern Methods...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Currently there are 2,934 public beds available in University of Limerick with an additional 110 student beds available in Mary Immaculate College. A research report by Knight Frank in September 2023 on Student Housing in Ireland, indicates that there are 5,500 purpose built student accommodation beds in Limerick. I can advise that there have been 159 student accommodation beds completed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Cases (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: There have been no legal cases taken by my Department against another Department, Government agencies or State bodies since the Department was formed in 2020. The information in respect of aegis bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out below, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has a total costing of €61,223.83 from 2023 to date in 2024 in reference to our external cleaning companies. I have enclosed in tabular form a breakdown on the yearly spend below. Year Sum of Amount Paid 2023 €25,439.01 2024 €35,784.82 Subtotal €61,223.83

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: This Government and I are committed to removing accommodation as a barrier to education. In November 2022, the Government approved the development of a new policy to provide State assistance to stimulate the development of new student accommodation for public higher education institutions. This landmark policy response will, for the first time, see the State providing financial support in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Protection (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: A Ukrainian student with Beneficiary of Temporary Protection status, is eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme, once they are a registered full-time student in a Higher Education Institution (HEI), which holds an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education. However, It is important that any Ukrainian student wishing to travel on their Erasmus mobility should contact the Irish Visa Office,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Responsibilities (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have made 12 visits to universities since my appointment in April of this year. The visits and their purpose are listed in tabular form below. University Purpose of Visit Date Mary Immaculate College Courtesy call, items for discussion: 1. MIC’s position in the Higher Education Landscape 2. CéIM – accreditation of education programmes 22/04/2024 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Gurteen College, which the Deputy asks about, is a private agricultural training institution which does not receive direct funding from my department, nor is there any direct oversight of their operations. My understanding is that the college provides training services, funded by both participants themselves and by Teagasc. I understand that the main agency with responsibility for the Green...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years as specified under the Student Grant Scheme 2023 and 2024 are as follows: 1. Students must qualify for the standard rate of grant; 2. Total reckonable income (net of income disregards and Increase for Qualified Child) must not exceed €25,000 (2023/24) and €26,200...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As per Article 17(5)(b) of the Student Grant Scheme 2024, a student who already holds a qualification at or above Level 8 is ineligible to receive funding for attending a course at Level 8 of the NFQ or equivalent. With regard to this specific application, I have been advised that the student referred to by the Deputy obtained Undergraduate Level 8 award from the IT Blanchardstown in Creative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: SUSI’s dedicated Oireachtas Helpdesk gives public representatives direct access to SUSI for applicant queries. For SUSI to respond effectively to a query from a public representative on an individual application in a manner that is fully compliant with SUSI’s Data Protection Statement and that meets SUSI’s duties as a data controller, SUSI must be satisfied that all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am very much aware that the rising cost of living is impacting students, and my Department has ensured that measures to support students have formed a core part of the Government's overall response to cost of living issues. Budget 2024 has had the effect of reducing the cost of higher education for the majority of students. For the second year in a row, as a cost of living measure my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will be aware that a proposal was put forward by Cavan Monaghan ETB (CMETB) under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund and that CMETB are being supported by SOLAS in developing their Preliminary Business Case (PBC) proposal for Cavan town. The development of a robust PBC is fundamental to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. The proposal put forward by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have written to the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland and expressed the hope that we can meet shortly to explore areas of common interest. In June 2023, the Irish Government approved the allocation of up to €44.5m from the Shared Island Fund to be used solely to help meet the cost of the construction of a new Teaching Block on the Ulster University campus in Derry. On the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The parameters of a pilot part-time grant scheme are currently being finalised and I will announce the details shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am very much aware that the rising cost of living is impacting students, and my Department has ensured that measures to support students have formed a core part of the Government's overall response to cost of living issues. Budget 2023 and Budget 2024 has had the effect of reducing the cost of higher education for the majority of students. For the second year in a row, as a cost of living...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I cannot comment on an individual case. However, my officials have spoken with SOLAS about this matter. My Department has been assured by SOLAS that Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB) endeavours to ensure that all learners are placed in the most appropriate and advantageous programme to best meet their needs. SOLAS has further informed my officials that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As per Article 13(3) of the Student Grant Scheme 2023, 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 entry/re-entry...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department works collaboratively, through SOLAS and the HEA, with the Education Training Boards and all higher education institutions on the development and delivery of capital projects. Capital investment in Louth for 2024 will be realised through existing capital projects and devolved funding mechanisms as detailed in the below table. Included is the single largest investment in Further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Deputy will be aware that the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund was launched in February 2022, with the objective of addressing existing deficits in current FET infrastructure and to support projects that drive reform of the FET sector. Under this programme call, all 16 ETBs were encouraged to develop proposals for funding that would demonstrate how broader FET reform...