Results 441-460 of 1,175,616 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:John Carty OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Chris Andrews6 OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Michael Collins)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I am sorry that I was delayed. I have another committee meeting as well. The main issue that consistently comes up from students is accommodation. How many have dropped out at this point because they are unable to get accommodation? If they do not have the data for this year, are the numbers for last year available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Is USI going to compile it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: An issue came up with me recently is that of somebody in digs who, as part of their SUSI application, was asked to provide a utility bill. Obviously if a person is in digs, he or she will not have a utility bill. Because of the lack of regulation in the sector, some students are going to pay cash. It does not give them the details. Is that a further reason to have digs regulation? Have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Another big issue that comes up a great deal is independence and proof of independence. I am not exactly sure, to be totally frank, how to change that. However, the whole issue of independence and people trying but not being able to prove their independence to get a grant s probably one of the main issues that I come across when it comes to SUSI. Do witnesses agree that is an issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: There was not a massive amount of change in the SUSI grants in the budget. Some of the thresholds changed. I asked the Minister how many students that would impact. He said about 3,000. If I am not mistaken, there are 15,000 in Galway alone, so it is impacting a very small number of people. Has USI noticed more and more that while people might think at the start that they are able to go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: It is huge. I was contacted by a PhD researcher. Researchers do not pay tax on their stipend and are not able to get the renter's tax credit. Has USI raised that with the Department of Finance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: In the future, though it should be immediate, we need to figure out what exactly affordable student accommodation is. Everybody needs to come together. I know we are waiting on the student accommodation strategy, which USI has raised countless times with me and, I am sure, with the Minister. It is frustrating that we still do not have that. We need to bring USI, the Department, Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairead Farrell: My time is up. I thank the witnesses. They do significant work, which is stressful because they are dealing with people in serious crisis situations. It is trying to figure out how to help them. In many cases, unfortunately, there is very little help for people. Fair play to USI. I look forward to joining the witnesses on their protest.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome members of the Department before the committee this afternoon. In order for us to respond adequately to the financial challenges that are faced by students, we need to know how many of them are being forced out of third level as a result of financial pressures. Can Mr. Moynes tell us if there are any statistics on that or any way we can get that information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: If a student drops out, is there any follow-up with them? What happens with regard to the Department’s knowledge of their disappearance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Moynes believe it would be beneficial if third level institutions were to automatically follow up with students who drop out? I am conscious they may not get a response but if we are trying to get this information, we need to look at third level institutions following up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The biggest financial challenge that students face and we have just discussed this with the USI, is the cost of accommodation, particularly for students who are not living at home. What is the Department doing to try to encourage third level institutions to consider the construction of accommodation on campus? Also, what can the Department do to ensure that such accommodation as is put on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Dunican.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Dunican for that answer. There are about nine higher education institutions that offer courses through the CAO which are not approved for SUSI grants. Are there any signs that discrepancy is going to be addressed? How does Mr. Moynes think that is going to progress?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: We were at €289 million. Is this the same person who was contracted to provide the modular build? Is a different contractor providing the solar panels?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: Mr. Conlon, as Chair of the OPW, is telling this committee and the public in general that the final cost of the modular build at an A1 rating, including solar panels fitted, is €442,000.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: That is not the question. The cost per unit is currently €442,000. Is Mr. Conlon saying that is without the fitting of solar panels? Is it the case that when that is completed, the cost is not going to change?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: Will the cost change from €442,000 per unit?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: He expects it to stay the same.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: That is an undertaking that we have, even though the project is three times over the initial budget. What happened that meant an estimate of €100 million ended up costing nearly three times that?