Results 13,481-13,500 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 7: In page 12, line 3, to delete "immediately" and substitute the following: "following a notice period of not less than 30 days".

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 18: In page 24, to delete lines 7 to 9.

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept the Minister's response.

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: We will incorporate it.

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: I move amendment No. 19: In page 26, line 33, after "time" to insert the following: "but shall not be precluded from applying from other wards or stipends".

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: Is there any room for compromise on this? I accept the point that there cannot be an advocate on the appeals board for somebody who comes before it. The board has a different role, to make a decision based on facts as opposed to life experiences. Is there a way in which they can even be consulted with regard to the appointments? Would that be reasonable? I have no problem with students...

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: What about being consulted?

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: I understand that. I accept the Minister's point but could the students write to the Minister and submit names? It is important to recognise their importance in the process. Ultimately, it is about them because these are the people it will affect. They should be consulted on it.

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: What about Deputy Pat Rabbitte?

Student Support Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am glad that this Bill has been passed and it will make a massive difference to the thousands of students whose applications will be processed more effectively. It will do away with the unacceptable delays in some local authorities or VECs where staff issues arise and where there is not the manpower to do the work in the manner that they would wish it to be done. The Union of Students in...

Written Answers — FÁS Training Programmes: FÁS Training Programmes (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: Question 90: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 100 of 23 November 2010, when information will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47871/10]

Literacy Levels (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: Is it not a fact that the Government's economic, health and education policies are an abject failure? The education policy is an appalling failure and it is the worst of all OECD countries. Did the Minister say more people are staying in school longer and that is the reason they are not reading as much? Is it not a fact that in 2000, students up to 15 years of age were compelled to attend...

Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: In this audit and in earlier audits on education, the issue at stake is that the Minister was not consulted or asked to give his or her consent to the payments that were made. That is the key issue. For a period of nine years in a previous audit, the advice of the Higher Education Authority was not taken by UCD, UL or NUIG. The core of this issue is the lack of governance from the...

Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: But it did happen.

Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: Did the Minister say she will proceed to recover the money? I did not hear exactly what she said.

Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: The big thing is that the Minister is not in charge and her officials are not in charge of the quangos under her control. The Minister has promised new legislation to sort out all this, but will we see it in the new year? Unless she is in charge of her Department, then these things will continue to happen. Right across the third level institutions, especially the universities, there have...

Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: They are a law unto themselves.

Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: The universities are running riot.

Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Department is imposing new penalties on mature students and other students in terms of new criteria for grants. If it went after the universities for greater efficiencies and savings, it could find a significant amount of the €30 million in grant reductions for third level students. If the Department tackled the issue in the context of previous reports of the Comptroller and Auditor...

Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is related to the funding for this issue.