Results 821-840 of 10,490 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The HEA devolves responsibility for the application, selection, and award processes for the 1916 Bursary Fund to the regional clusters of Higher Education Institutions. The Cluster to which the person the Deputy refers to has confirmed that the application was received but unfortunately was not successful on the grounds of financial income criteria. The outcome of this was conveyed to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Since its establishment in 2020, my Department has focused on responding to the skills needs of today and the future. My Department’s work in collaboration with the OECD on Ireland’s Skills Strategy, published in May 2023, highlighted the need to have a diversified supply of skills in Ireland to respond to the changing world of work and challenges posed by the onset of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: On 1 January 2021, responsibility for Ireland's research and innovation (R&I) policy transferred from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to my Department. Following extensive stakeholder consultation, former Minister, An Taoiseach Simon Harris, launched Impact 2030 Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy on 18 May 2022. Impact 2030 is a Whole-of-Government...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: An official from my Department has advised that the student outlined by the Deputy was awarded the 50% Student Contribution rate of grant by SUSI for the 2024/2025 academic year, based on their 2023 total household income calculation. The difference between the applicant’s award, and that of their brother is as a result of the applicant’s income from employment for 2023. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The company referred to provides food and catering services. I can confirm to the deputy that my department has used this company for such services on over 40 occasions in the period queried, the years of 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024. The associated cost of these services has been: 2022: € 3,422.08 2023: € 12,256.04 2024: € 5,323.59

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My department is continuing to oversee the implementation of a plan put in place by the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) to significantly expand apprenticeship capacity at training centres nationwide.Substantial resources have been invested in the apprenticeship system via Budget 2024 and capital investment in 2023 to;• support staff,• expand apprenticeship provision in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: AI is promising to transform how education is delivered by our tertiary system. AI can help make learning much more personalised to meet student needs. It can adjust lessons and materials to individual’s learning styles, and speeds helping to ensure that students that need extra support receive it. AI platforms can analyse large amounts of data giving insights into how students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is a suite of apprenticeship programmes currently in place to equip participants with relevant skills that are essential to support Ireland’s growing renewable energy sector. In light of the extensive supply chain required for areas such as wind farm development, these apprenticeship programmes include the wind turbine maintenance technician apprenticeship, geo-drilling,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In terms of funding available to the higher education sector for mental health supports, higher education institutions (HEIs) receive funding from a variety of sources that contribute to the expenditure associated with the full range of institutional activities. This includes recurrent funding allocated by my Department to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In advance of Budget 2025, I will be publishing the annual options paper which will set out various possible measures to address matters pertaining to the cost of education. This paper will facilitate a public discussion on the various choices available to amend student supports including the Student Assistant Fund. These options will be considered as part of the deliberations around Budget 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Communications (9 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The key public helplines operated by my Department are 01- 889 2448/2442. Calls are not recorded and recording is not currently under consideration at this time. The customer service is kept under constant review and adapted to meet needs.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (4 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In April, the Taoiseach and I announced the capital investment of €100m from the National Development Plan windfall allocation for delivery of student accommodation projects. This enables the progression of 1,014 beds across UCD, DCU, and Maynooth University under my Department’s short term activation plan. Funding under this measure is provided to higher education institutions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (3 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Any person seeking to continue their studies on the basis of prior learning should engage with the Admissions Team in the institutions best suited to their prior education experience. There are two schemes in place to support students to access further and higher education that may be relevant in this case. Student Grant Scheme, and International Protection Student SchemeFurther...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Apprenticeship scheduling is carried out on a national basis by the coordinating provider and all efforts are made to schedule apprentices to their nearest available training location. If this is not possible, they will be called to the next nearest available location. All apprentices are advised at their mandatory Apprenticeship Induction briefings of the apprenticeship scheduling...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department allocates funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to designated higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEA provides block grant funding to the HEIs, from within the allocation available, through the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM) which is driven by overall student numbers. The grant is allocated as a block grant and the internal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The enrolment data for the academic year 2022/2023 for all programmes under the health and welfare education category, is contained in the attached spreadsheet. This data was obtained from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Student Records System (SRS) and is rounded to the nearest five (or multiple of 5). The Department does not have the average annual costing for all health and social...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500, 501 and 502 together. The Government recognises the need for expansion in the provision of Veterinary Medicine programmes. These programmes are complex to deliver and require appropriate equipment, laboratory facilities, and appropriately qualifies teaching staff, to meet the requirements of the regulator. As you are aware, the HEA Expression of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department's main policy achievements from 2020 – 2023 have been outlined previously in the following parliamentary question answered on 14th December 2023 available here: . Some of the main policy achievements for my Department in 2024 thus far, are set out below. Distributed Campus Support Fund A new fund to support higher education institutions that have a regionally...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the State provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible full time undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution of up to €3,000 per annum. The State pays the student contribution (in full or part) on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme administered by SUSI. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (2 Jul 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Funding the Future funding and reform framework, published in May 2022, settled the question on funding higher education. The Framework identified an amount of €307 million as representing the quantum of increase in core funding required to deliver enhanced performance, strategic reforms and strengthened quality of outcomes. The Framework set out the policy intention to prioritise...