Results 81-100 of 11,761 for speaker:Niall Collins

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (5 Nov 2024)

Niall Collins: As the Deputy is aware, a new grade of Adult Educator with a standardised incremental pay-scale, aligned to the Youthreach Resource Personnel Scale, was formally established in April. The Education and Training Boards were advised in April on the formal arrangements for the establishment of this grade. 2,800 existing tutors across the country were given the option of moving to the new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (5 Nov 2024)

Niall Collins: The number of guidance counsellors employed by each of the sixteen Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in the Further Education and Training (FET) sector is set out in the attached table. ETBs submit public sector returns for FET staff, i.e. staff paid from the SOLAS budget, on a quarterly basis to my Department. The figures provided are extracted from the quarterly returns for the period Q4...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (5 Nov 2024)

Niall Collins: My officials are making enquiries on this matter and a response will issue to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (24 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: I thank the committee members for the opportunity to speak to them this afternoon to present the 2024 Supplementary Estimates for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. My officials have provided briefing material to the secretariat of the committee, which hopefully will be of assistance to members. This Estimate provides for a net increase of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (24 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: Yes, absolutely. The €116 million in the main goes towards the €1,000 reduction in the student registration charge. I think it is fair to say we have to keep in context the fact that over the lifetime of this Government, we have done a lot of work to reform the SUSI grant system. We have increased thresholds and grant amounts. We also made technical adjustments to the scheme...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (24 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: A long campaign has been waged by various stakeholders in that cohort of students. We have done a lot of work. We spend a lot of our time speaking about apprenticeships and higher education but part of our remit is research. We have reformed significantly the legislation and organisations that oversee and are charged with managing our research as well as with supporting people through...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (23 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 187. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on matters affecting retired members of the medical science profession (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43339/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Forestry Sector (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 199. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the number of landowners across the country who have trees which are non-commercial plantations impacted by ash dieback adjacent to public roads; if the associated potential risk to road safety has been assessed; if a scheme to help landowners with the cost of removal of the impacted trees will be considered; and if...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 221. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport regarding his support of connectivity and air access to the whole island, if he will please provide an account of the number of individual services (routes) that have been supported through the co-operative marketing fund per year since 2014, detailing which airport, State owned and otherwise, those services landed into; and if he will...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Air Services (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 419. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht regarding her support of connectivity and air access to the whole island, if she will please provide an account of the number of individual services (routes) that have been supported through the cooperative marketing fund per year since 2014, detailing which airport, State owned and otherwise, those services landed into; and if...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Schemes (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 451. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department can provide any additional funding to a conservation grant award to a person (details supplied) as the grant awarded is far too little to defray that cost of the project. [43056/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Social Welfare Payments (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 623. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an application (details supplied) can be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42855/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy for his question. As he appreciates, there is a complex historical issue relating to pensions and adult education tutors. I understand that the maximum amount tutors can work in contact hours with learners is 20 hours per week under their existing contracts. In recognition of the associated work they do, such as programme development, class preparation, assessment and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (22 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 839, 840 and 843 together. My officials are continuing to engage with TUI on this issue. I understand that the most recent engagement took place on 17th October. My Department is now in the process of agreeing a methodology that will further investigate the merits of changing the Youthreach calendar year.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (17 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: 261. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to review correspondence (details supplied); the options available to this person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42246/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (17 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: My officials are making enquiries on your behalf and a response will issue shortly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (17 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: My Department does not hold this level of information requested by the Deputy. Further, my Department does not collect data on the numbers of tutors in the public sector returns for staffing numbers as these are hourly paid positions which are not pensionable. However, from work over recent years to prepare for the creation of a new Adult Educator grade and pay scale, my officials identified...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (17 Oct 2024)

Niall Collins: My Department has significantly increased its investment in further education and training (FET) in recent years, from about €909 million in 2020 to more than €1.055 billion in 2024, excluding capital expenditure. The 2024 allocation to SOLAS comprises €524.19m from the Exchequer (including approx. €19 million of temporary funding) and €531.27 million from...

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

Niall Collins: 299. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41276/24]