Results 1-20 of 9,365 for speaker:Patrick O'Donovan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (24 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: This Government is committed to removing accommodation as a barrier to education. In November 2022, the Government approved the development of both a short and long term policy responses to increase the supply of student accommodation. In the short term, as part of this response, Government supported the activation of student accommodation projects in our Universities with planning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is not possible to provide the requested information on a county-by-county basis. The information is available by Education and Training Board (ETB). Therefore, the following information is for Louth & Meath ETB (LMETB), which operates in the Louth and Meath. However, its catchment area may extend beyond these counties. The list of apprenticeship programmes currently available...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: As of the end of March 2024 there are 73 national apprenticeships available, offering a qualification between NFQ level 5 and NFQ level 10. This compares to 73 apprenticeships available in 2023 and 68 apprenticeships available in 2022. The list of apprenticeship courses that were available in each of the years 2022 and 2023 are provided in tabular form below, along with the list of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Question Heading for question(s) 198 (24 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: SOLAS are now in a position to provide the information pertaining to craft apprentice waiting times which can be found in the attached document broken down by parent ETB. A normal amount of time for an apprentice to wait for phase 2 off the job training is 3 to 6 months. Those waiting 6 months or longer are termed as part of a backlog waiting for training. The rapid implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising (24 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department works with a Government procured media buying agency to ensure we get the best reach and value for money for our information campaigns. The Department's Advertising spend for 2022 and 2023 is detailed in the table attached, with a breakdown for local and national print and broadcast included. 2022 2023 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (24 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has had no engagement or provided departmental funding to the company referenced by the Deputy at any time since the creation of the Department in 2020.

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank the Acting Chair for the warm welcome back to the Seanad. I really enjoy the engagement with the Upper House. I have just come from the other House. As legislators, if we ever needed a dose of perspective and reality around what should actually be important to us, that was a fair injection of reality this afternoon. Sometimes we get tied up in the minutiae of things and the...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: What I said, for the benefit of the House, is that "use" is a broader term than "application", which is a deliberate choice, so the answer is "Yes". With regard to the other definitions, most of which have been lifted from international best practice, OECD definitions or definitions that are incorporated into the HEA Act, it is a bit late in the day for us to be unravelling either...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I hope so. I will have to leave the Chamber. The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, will take the next grouping. I remind the House of what the Bill states. Section 16(2) states: ...the Board shall be appointed by the Minister from among persons who, in the opinion of the Minister, have sufficient experience and expertise relating to matters connected with the functions of the Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Period Poverty (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Allocation of funding under the Naughton and Smyth framework does not fall under the remit of my department. This funding was allocated under the Department of Health. The provision of period products in publicly funded educational settings is a Programme for Government commitment. My Department has been involved in a number of initiatives to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 695 and 696 together. Under legislation, public sector Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies and are funded in a variety of ways including state grants; competitive funding; tuition fees and commercial/private income streams As the Deputy may be aware, through the HEA my Department allocates a range of funding supports to HEIs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 697 and 698 together. The International Education Mark (IEM) is a new quality education mark and part of a suite of legislative measures which are designed to protect international learners in Ireland. The IEM is a key pillar of the Government’s policy for international education, as set out in Global Citizens 2030: Ireland’s International...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The revised National Development Plan (NDP) published in October 2021 provided clarity on Departmental capital ceilings for the period 2022 – 2025. Capital funding in the amount of €658.6m is available to, and is profiled to be fully expended by my Department in 2024. This amount comprises the NDP capital allocation for 2024 of €619m in addition to the carryforward of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Government investment in research, development and innovation reached €964 million in 2022, an increase of 30% over 2017 when funding was €739 million. This investment in R&D includes funding for programmes that encompass all disciplines and all types of research. It should be noted that public funding for research is awarded according to the criteria set out in the various...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a pilot part time grant scheme will be introduced from September 2024. It will provide fee support to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: My Department has been made aware that the college referred to by the Deputy will close and cease to deliver degree level programmes accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) with effect from September 2024. In preparation for the forthcoming closure the college has engaged with QQI’s statutory Protection of Enrolled Learners (PEL) process. The PEL process ensures that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Period Poverty (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: The provision of period products in publicly funded educational settings is a Programme for Government commitment. My Department has been involved in a number of initiatives to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in their education by period indignity. These include the following: - worked collaboratively with the Department of Health and the OGP on the development of a drawdown...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Delivery of Impact 2030 is a collective effort by a range of Government Departments and their Agencies, each of which is responsible for advancing the R&I agenda in the sectors under their remits. The strategy is driven by DFHERIS by bringing together research funding and performing Departments and Agencies to ensure a cohesive, Whole-of-Government approach is achieved. As part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Medical Research and Training (23 Apr 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I recognise the significant benefits of access to and engagement with world class shared infrastructure and facilities, for our national research and innovation system and I support transnational collaborative research. As part of its whole of government strategic approach to drive research and innovation (Impact 2030), my Department directly manages some of Ireland's EU and other...