Results 601-620 of 1,170,483 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (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:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Joan Collins OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Martin Kenny) in 'Committee meetings'

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)

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)

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.