Results 1,141-1,160 of 10,778 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

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...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: There was capital investment in the past 12 months. I outlined it in the response that I gave. It came from the windfall. The current supply figures show that almost 15,000 beds have been completed since 2017. Of these, 1,500 were completed in 2023 alone. As I said a while ago with regard to costs, one of the most important things, which I hope the Deputy will welcome and support, is the...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: Not to point out the obvious, but we do not own the accommodation. In most of the cases, it is private. In Dublin, for instance, at the end of May 2024, the data that the universities provided themselves, as well as for digs accommodation for Maynooth, shows that there were 140 rooms for Trinity, 228 rooms for UCD, 217 for DCU, and 174 for Maynooth. It behoves all Deputies to recognise the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As the Deputy will be aware, there is currently no borrowing framework in place for the technological university sector. Housing for All contains a number of key actions relating to student accommodation, one of which involves the examination of a borrowing framework and financing options for the technological universities. The TU study is progressing in tandem with the standardised...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: All options, including but not limited to a borrowing framework, will be considered in this regard. I visited the Munster Technological University in Kerry last week to look at the science, technology, engineering and maths building that is in bundle 1 of the PPP. This is not exclusively about borrowing capacity. It is important to point out that direct Exchequer funding is being used by a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: PPPs have their place in the economy as well as direct Exchequer funding for capital works. In a previous role we would have discussed this topic at length. PPPs have their place and are important. The structure of them, how they are laid out, the impact they have in terms of cost for the service user, in this case the student for accommodation, and site acquisition are something that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Stanton. The answer is "Yes". In my first response, I stated this was one of the greatest risks to the integrity of the third-level sector - and to the second-level sector to a degree - when it comes to ensuring what is submitted by the learner or the student is the work of the learner or the student rather than the work of somebody else. That is going to be very...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I should have said in my earlier response there are a number of courses that are already developed and in train through the higher and further education systems to see AI for a power of really positive good. It is the higher education institutions themselves, together with the Higher Education Authority, that develop the degree, postgraduate and masters courses. Through academic autonomy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputy Farrell for raising such an important issue. To reiterate the Government's position, it is imperative we all see an end to this brutal war. The Government continues to urge Israel and Hamas to accept and fulfil the three-phase proposal outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council. It is vital all parties work towards reviving a political process that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The figures I have available show that at present, there are 35 Palestinian students registered with Irish universities in the academic year 2022-23. All are undertaking postgraduate studies, with a quarter in UCD. A question has been asked before about the different between the Palestinian students and the Ukrainian students. As the Deputy will be aware, the EU temporary protection...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (25 Jun 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: That is no problem. I will arrange to do that.

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I will deal with the questions in reverse order. I will come back to Deputy Durkan directly once we have had a chance to engage with all of the local authorities with respect to unused planning permissions in the private sector. On digs accommodation, the census carried out before the end of May showed that, in Cork, there were more than 400 available rooms in digs accommodation out of a...

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

Patrick O'Donovan: I am sorry; I did not interrupt Deputy Gould.