Results 841-860 of 10,490 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

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

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) provides tuition fee funding for eligible first time undergraduate students and therefore students pursuing second level 8 degree courses, including graduate entry programmes, are not eligible for the FFI. The total level of fees charged to graduate entry students is a matter for the higher education institutions, consistent with...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 and 509 together. Funding for apprenticeship 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 this autumn, an Education Options Paper will be published. This paper will outline various possible measures to reduce the cost of education....

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 512 together. The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a higher education admissions scheme for Leaving Certificate students (under 23) whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education. The scheme is owned and controlled by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) participating in the scheme. The HEIs determine...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to 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. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: My officials are gathering data on this request. I will revert with a reply to the Deputy directly as soon as it is received.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: 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 student’s application and the determination of the appropriate fee rate is a function of the institution attended. As the Deputy may be aware there are typically two rates of fee, an EU Rate of Fee or a...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I wish to advise the Deputy that policy and regulatory questions relating to the Professional Masters in Education, and the teaching profession more generally, are a matter for the Department of Education and my colleague Minister Foley. The Department of Education engage directly with higher education institutions in relation to the scale of provision in teacher education programmes. ...

Nomination of Member of Government: Motion (26 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Where are your €300,000 houses?

Nomination of Member of Government: Motion (26 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: We want to keep it that way.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (26 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Student Grant Scheme is the principal support for students in financial terms by my Department. It provides grant assistance to eligible students attending approved full-time courses in approved further or higher educational institutions who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme. The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the national student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (26 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. My Department receives, on a daily basis, numerous correspondence from students, parents, and politicians on behalf of their constituents on a wide range of issues such as individual SUSI grant applications, information sought on what support is available to students who wish to attend further and higher education in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (26 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (26 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Students subject to a student contribution charge with a reckonable income under €55,924 under the Student Grant Scheme who fulfil all other eligibility criteria under the Scheme will be eligible to receive a 100% Student Contribution Grant from September 2024, which in effect means that they will not be liable to pay any fees. The Student Grant Scheme 2024 has been published and is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Labour Market (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: That is a very broad question. To be fair to Deputy Durkan, he is asking me to look into a crystal ball. If I was looking into the crystal ball of the Minister, Deputy McGrath, on his way out today, he basically said that economic growth will continue on the trajectory it is on for the next couple of years. Our population will continue to grow and we will require a number of things. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Labour Market (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: To use the example of health professions needed, we have done more than make a good stab at that. A lot of positive work has taken place on an all-island basis with all of the universities across the island, making sure that those who will be needed for various different therapies and disciplines in medicine can be trained on an all-island basis and be supported by the Government in this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Farrell for raising this important issue. We had quite a good discussion with regard to disabilities in the previous session. This session has been dominated by the issue of accommodation. I am glad this issue has been raised because I have a particular interest in it. Well-being and student mental health are priorities for me and the Department. Higher education...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy. To give some examples, the higher education institutions received €5 million for this. The Atlantic Technological University, which has a very substantial campus in Galway, in 2023 received an allocation of €431,667. The University of Galway received an allocation of €316,438. We all have the same objective here. I have been in Deputy Farrell's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: This is not an issue that is confined to one part of the country nor is it confined to a conversation between one Deputy and another. This is an issue that we all, unfortunately, come into contact with. It is important to point out this was starting from a zero base. The former Minister, who is now Taoiseach, allocated approximately €5 million per year since 2020. That was to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Labour Market (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Durkan for this very important question. The tertiary education system plays an essential role in ensuring our graduates from higher education, further education and training and from the apprenticeship models are equipped with the essential vocational, professional and other skills and competencies that will equip them for success in work. The agility and flexibility of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 64 together. I am committed to progressing a new policy to provide State assistance to stimulate the development of new student accommodation. In April, the Taoiseach and I announced capital investment of €100 million from the national development plan windfall allocation for delivery of student accommodation projects. This enables the...