Results 101-120 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Technological Universities (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I announced the €200 million for 11 of our 13 institutions in 2018. The Deputy asked why the application from the south east has been delayed. I am not sure. I have given it a lot of time. I have visited the campus and, since Christmas, met the two presidents of the institutes. I acknowledge the significant work being done by the presidents in Waterford and Carlow. I keep saying...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will try to answer the Deputy's final question first. There were design issues which need to be considered. This requires the design team to review the project to ensure compliance with new regulations, namely the near-zero energy building regulations. Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB carried out a prequalification process at an earlier stage of the project. However, for a number of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects Status (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, who is in the Seanad at present. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline to the House the current position regarding the building project to provide improved accommodation for St Finian’s community college in Swords, County Dublin. As the Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the committee for the invitation to appear before it to brief it at this early opportunity on the proposed amendment to the Student Support Act 2011. I am particularly keen to protect the excellent co-operation and collaboration between the higher and further education systems of Ireland and the UK and the students, teachers, staff and researchers who benefit from the co-operation....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I will wait until Deputy Thomas Byrne returns before I answer his question. The Minister has answered the question about the Middletown Centre for Autism. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked what was happening in the longer term.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I can return to his question. We know that there is a lot of uncertainty. My officials in the Department of Education and Skills who are present have been working on the matter for two and a half years. We have been told that the legislation we need to pass relates to the SUSI grant. The rest depends on Brexit and what is decided about the common travel area. There are risks. As has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Yes, up until a certain date.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: My understanding is the programmes will be protected up until that date. Contingency plans are being made in case Brexit happens, although we all hope it does not and that an alternative decision will be made. Departmental officials have been in contact with their counterparts in the United Kingdom to work out what will happen. As of now, as I mentioned, the British Government has stated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: The only matter we have been told to address is that of SUSI grants. Everything else is a matter of EU competency. We must wait to see what will happen in the event that there is a no-deal Brexit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Protection will continue for Irish students in any other collaboration they have made. It is UK students who will have an issue, not Irish students.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We had a Brexit-proofed budget in 2019. Funding has been increased. For the past two budgets, the fund for the Irish Research Council is €2.5 million for young researchers. Science Foundation Ireland has been working on this for the past two and a half years since the result of the Brexit referendum, as have our higher education institutions. From my previous role, I know that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Someone asked about apprenticeships. The budget for apprenticeships and further and higher education was increased. The Deputy is right. It has been a slow burn with regard to apprenticeships. We have been working with the Apprenticeship Council to get that message out. I have met the various stakeholders and will meet businesses in the next week to try to ensure that the message is out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: If the Deputy looks up apprenticeships.ie, she will see the new apprenticeships that are coming on stream. Approximately 19 such apprenticeships are coming on stream and there are approximately five new ones. When the expert group on future skills needs points out to us areas and gaps in labour needs, the colleges and institutes of technology come together and offer those courses. All of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I know the Deputy talks about the lack of engineers, but I would just say to her that even in the CAO the numbers were down for engineering this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I know and I have heard the Deputy say that three times.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I am talking about engineers being trained. For example, the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, has put together a process whereby a number of employers can come together and employ an apprentice. We have a difficulty with employers coming forward to sign up for apprentices for four years. The information is all on the apprenticeship.ie website. To young people listening in, there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I know it is. I also urge businesses to engage. To have apprentices, we must have them signed up by businesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I do not have a specific date.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I want to return to the issue of apprenticeships and put on the record that the number is growing. I will give some of the statistics on them. In 2018, there was a total of 5,468 registrations for apprenticeships, almost 5,000 of which were for the traditional craft apprenticeships and 590 were for the 25 new apprenticeships. I am sure the committee is aware that Mr. Martin McVicar spoke...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 29 March 2019) Bill 2019: Discussion (12 Feb 2019)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: One of the chairperson's colleagues asked the question.