Results 801-820 of 10,554 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department is continuing to oversee the implementation of a plan put in place by the National Apprenticeship Office to significantly increase apprenticeship capacity and respond to rising Craft Apprenticeship registrations. At Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), apprenticeship funding rose from €17.1 million in 2023 to €17.9 million in 2024. Two workshops, one...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: Apprenticeship registrations have seen a substantial growth in recent years, demonstrating the rising popularity of apprenticeship with employers and apprentices alike. There are now 75 national apprenticeship programmes and a total population of over 27,000 apprentices. Craft apprenticeship registrations have grown by 25% since 2019, supporting a buoyant construction sector and delivery of...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy is aware, graduate entry medicine (GEM) is a pathway for degree holders who want to pursue a medical career on an accelerated four year programme. Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding. They are also not eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme as they do not meet the progression...

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: 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...