Results 461-480 of 1,142,371 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Eamon Scanlon OR speaker:Joan Burton OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Joan Burton0 OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Gerald Nash OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan)

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I remind members to ensure their mobile phones are switched off for the duration of the meeting as they interfere with the broadcasting equipment, even when on silent mode. On behalf of the committee, I welcome the following representatives from the USI: Mr. Chris Clifford, national president; Mr. Bryan O'Mahony, deputy president and vice president, academic affairs; Ms Emma Monahan, vice...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I would have thought the most significant cost-of-living challenge that their members face is the cost of rent for those who are not living at home. To what extent does that vary based on USI membership around the country? Is it exclusively a Dublin and Cork issue or does it go farther than that?

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

Jim O'Callaghan: The solution is obviously that we need to produce more accommodation so that hopefully, the increase in supply will reduce prices. Is it the USI’s view that further efforts should be made by Government to establish more student accommodation on campus?

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

Jim O'Callaghan: Is USI concerned about the fact that the prices at which some of the student accommodation that has been established are set are designed for conferences more than for the student? This is a concern of, I think, UCD students.

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

Jim O'Callaghan: UCC Students’ Union was here last week and presented a very well put together cost-of-living report. It was academically reviewed and done very professionally. One thing that struck me is there was an academic – I apologise as I forget his name – who was from the business department who talked about the numbers of students now who must work in order to meet the...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: The Department of further education is a new Department. It just came into existence during the course of this Dáil term. What is USI’s experience of engagement with the Department? Is it good? Should USI have more engagement with it? Is it listening to USI’s concerns?

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

Jim O'Callaghan: Rent has been identified as the biggest cost-of-living challenge. What are the other cost-of-living challenges that we might not be aware of. Obviously, we are aware of cost-of-living issues as they affect the general population, but what are the other ones Mr. Clifford thinks we should be informed about that affect USI members?

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

Jim O'Callaghan: In terms of the hidden costs for certain degrees, is it the creative courses that have more costs than one would expect or do they affect other disciplines also?

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

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the witnesses.

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I want to put a couple of questions, especially about students' working, which is something I am coming across more and more. When students are in college they should be in full-time education and focused on getting their degree or qualification but they are working one, two and three jobs in order to try to make ends meet. That is having a pretty severe impact on their education. Could I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Joint Committee (22 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Apologies have been received from the Chair, Deputy Paul Kehoe. We will go briefly into private session.

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

Jim O'Callaghan: One of the issues this committee has frequently looked at is the difficulty of PhD students and the limited resources available to them. There was an announcement in the budget that the annual stipend available to PhD students would be €25,000. I presume the witnesses welcome that. What is their assessment of how that is going to help PhD students? Do they think it is insufficient?

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That should not be what we are aiming to do at all if people want to work over the summer months or even have a small part-time job. I remember working in a bar when I was in college. That was fine, as it did not impact on my studies. It was something like two evenings at the weekend. However, 40 hours a week is different. We have to accept that the primary job when in college is to get...

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is the worst of both worlds, paying for accommodation that still involves travelling. There is no benefit to that at all.

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I echo Deputy Farrell's comment about the great work that USI does. I thank the witnesses for coming and sharing their insights and experiences. It is extremely important to us as committee members to hear people who are much closer to the issues than we are. It has been very beneficial. We will suspend for a changing of the guard, to let the witnesses from USI out and the departmental...

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: On behalf of the committee I welcome Mr. Keith Moynes, assistant secretary, higher education policy division; Ms Ann Gorman, principal officer, higher education policy division; and Mr. Éamonn Dunnican, principal officer, corporate services and capital division, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; and Mr. Philip Connolly, director of services;...

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

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank Mr. Moynes and call Deputy Jim O'Callaghan.

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.