Results 1,021-1,040 of 10,554 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has not made any direct capital investment in data or IT infrastructure since its establishment in 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: A student attending a private college, such as the one referred to by the Deputy, which is not listed in the Student Support Regulations 2024 would not be eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme 2024. It is open to higher education institutions that operate on a 'for profit' basis to use their own resources to provide financial supports to any of their students that they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: A pilot part time grant scheme will be introduced effective from September 2024. It will provide fee support to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award. This is an important new initiative which will open the doors of higher education to many groups who cannot participate in full time programmes. The parameters of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As outlined in my previous response, the Department of Education provides IT provision and support services to my Department on a shared basis. As such, that Department meets any costs relating to the IT infrastructure, data maintenance and cyber-security. Thus my Department has not incurred any direct expenditure in these areas since its establishment in 2020. The information in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has provided funding to the Irish Centre for High End Computing (ICHEC) since the Department was established in 2020. The table outlines the funding by my Department to the ICHEC per each year from 2020-2024. DFHERIS Funding for ICHEC 2020-2024 Year 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Amount...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department is committed to delivering a high standard of third-level education across Ireland, as we acknowledge the crucial role that further and higher education institutions play in both regional and economic development. While there are no current plans for the development of a future third-level institute in Portlaoise town, the established Portlaoise Institute provides...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 outlines the position with regard to approved institutions for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme. Ballyfermot College of Further Education is approved Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre which is managed and funded by City of Dublin ETB. As such, it is comprehended within Section 7(1)(d) of the Act as an “education institution in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residency Permits (28 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: In October 2022, an independent and comprehensive National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers was announced; the first time that this issue has been considered holistically in this manner. The first report of the Co-Chairs, Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney, was published in summer 2023. In it they recommended an increase towards an optimum PhD stipend level of €25,000,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not have anything more to add. We are taking this issue very seriously. I hope to be in a position to make an announcement with regard to this as soon as possible. However, there is a caveat having had regard to all of the indicators I set out, which the Deputy will appreciate as a former Minister.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Before the Deputy entered the Chamber, I referred to the movement from second level to tertiary level, particularly for those who are in receipt of personal assistance hours. In many cases, they move from primary to secondary with school special needs assistants or other forms of assistance and then there is a cliff edge. There is no doubt that this cliff edge is extremely daunting. It...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I have no problem at all in doing so. In the context of the discussion on personal assistants, we are in the same place now as our predecessors were 20 years ago in their discussions about special needs assistants in the primary sector. It is a natural and good progression. It is a good progression because many of the people we are talking about have come through extremely challenging...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Higher Education Authority recently ran a process to identify options to expand higher education provision in a number of priority skills areas, including veterinary medicine. Proposals were put forward by a range of higher education institutions under this process. The options identified have the potential to significantly increase the numbers of students...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Deputy for his warm wishes. The decision relating to this matter will be based on a number of key indicators I have already outlined with regard to the provision of additional spaces. I know that the Deputy has a particular interest in one location is his area. He is to be commended for raising this in the Dail. The decision will be made in a collaboration between ourselves,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Dental Services (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: For the academic year 2022-23, UCC had an intake of 50 and Trinity had 45, so the total is 100 or thereabouts. I do not disagree. This goes back to much of what the previous contributor asked about with regard to workforce planning. These are the dialogues we are having in respect of not only dentists but also pharmacists, vets, carpenters, builders and bricklayers. Regardless of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Inclusion is one of six strategic goals set out in my Department's statement of strategy. The national access plan, NAP, has identified a number of priority groups who are under-represented in higher education and need additional focus, including students with disabilities. The Department has provided funding of an additional €35 million to support the objectives of the NAP over its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As I said in response to other Deputies who raised issues regarding the budget, I will be guided to a large degree by many of the issues that are raised directly by Members of the House, including people such as the Deputy. The proportion of new entrants in 2022 who had a disability was 12.5%, whereas the current figure is 13.8%, with a target of 16%, so we are going in the right direction....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not disagree with the Deputy. His county colleague Deputy Stanton raised circumstances for people that may seem simple but can be very challenging, relating to, for instance, access to the most basic of facilities on campuses, including bathrooms, and the tying-up of transport. There will definitely be a requirement for local authorities, some State agencies and other Government actors...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The Department is carrying out an information-gathering exercise that will facilitate the signposting of courses and associated supports for people with disabilities as they move from second to tertiary level, and this is part of a broader scheme of work planned by the Department, which will also include a diagnostic review of the tertiary offering for people with disabilities as part of work...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am sorry to disappoint the Deputy-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: There is continuous engagement between our Department, the Department of Health and the HSE with regard to workforce planning and our burgeoning population in view of the fact that the economy has been completely revived since 2011. I know the Deputy and her party like to create the impression that everybody is leaving the country, but the reality is that they are not. We have a growing...