Ninth Level Ireland

“Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael): I move: ‘That the Bill be now read a Second Time’. It is a great pleasure to present to the House the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020, which passed all Stages in the Seanad yesterday. This Bill establishes, for the first time in the history of the State, a Department focused on further and higher education, research, innovation and science. We will now have a Department whose chief remit will be the further and higher education needs of our economy and our people …” (debate, resumed debate)

[Dáil debates, 24 July]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if applicants for higher education grants that worked during the Covid-19 emergency will not incur a reduction or cessation of SUSI grant entitlement in view of the fact that they worked as requested during the emergency; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 30 June]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the availability on an ongoing basis of sufficiently qualified young persons with the skill sets sufficient to meet the demands of the modern workplace, academically and technically; the degree to which corrective steps are needed to address deficiencies in this vital area in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 25 June]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he continues to be engaged with the concept of the publicly funded education programme, with particular reference to the need to ensure that the system continues to produce an adequate number of suitably qualified graduates to meet the challenges and competition of the workplace here and abroad; the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the ability of each stage of the educational system to achieve maximum targets in both the academic and technical spheres; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 May]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he remains satisfied regarding the extent to which the third and fourth-level educational sector here remains adequate to meet competition from overseas; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 28 November]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which innovation continues to be a feature of enterprise and investment here; if she remains satisfied that new enterprises have adequate access to innovation technology and-or appropriate assistance from the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 18 October]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which third level education requires ongoing assessment and updating in line with best practice internationally in order to ensure the ability of graduates to compete internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 16 October]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which third level education requires ongoing assessment and updating in line with best practice internationally in order to ensure the ability of graduates to compete internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 6 December]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the inadequate stream of third level graduates to meet the demands of the workplace with particular reference to the medical professions; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 6 December]

“Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on increasing public funding of third level colleges to reverse the cuts that have taken place since 2008 and to end reliance on private sector funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 25 October]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which higher education costs have increased over the past number of years; the extent to which the proportion of the national budget under that heading has varied in the past ten years; his plans to ensure continued access to third level for all students seeking to avail of third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 25 October]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he expects NUI Maynooth and the other universities to develop over the next five years with specific reference to catering for increased demand and the broadening of the syllabus thereby enhancing their competitiveness internationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 25 October]

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of legal action current or pending initiated by the Institute of Technology in Tallaght, Dublin 24 whether on behalf of management or at the instigation of staff members as a group or as individuals; the nature and basis for any such action; if the subject matter or matters have or were referred for mediation; if legal costs arising will impact on the taxpayer or on the individual instigators; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 27 January]

“Bernard Durkan: What is the position of the Technological Universities Bill 2014 which proposes to amend previous legislation in respect of Dublin Institute of Technology, DIT, and the Higher Education Authority, HEA? … Enda Kenny: We gave authorisation to the Minister for Education and Science in the past couple of weeks on elements of the technological universities Bill 2014. I will supply the Deputy with up to date information on that. It was cleared by Cabinet …” (more)

[Dáil Debates, 17 June]

“Deputy Bernard J Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he will re-examine the structures of Student Universal Support Ireland and the inadequacy of the existing structures to deal with the volume of applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 9 April]

“Around four of every five first-year students expected to get a grant this year are already being paid or have had their payments approved, latest figures reveal …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 30 November]

“Deputy Bernard J Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which Student Universal Support Ireland has managed to deal with the total number of applications for higher education grants received in respect of the current academic year; the number of cases approved, refused or as yet undetermined; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 26 November]

“Deputy Bernard J Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects Student Universal Support Ireland to be in a position to deal with processing of higher education grants for students within a reasonable time; if in the event of the obvious shortcomings so far identified, consideration might be given to reverting to the old system …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 3 July]

“Deputy Bernard J Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students known to have dropped out of third level education in each of the past three years to date for whatever reason; his plans to tackle this issue in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 3 July]

“Deputy Bernard J Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate having regard to the experience to date, the extent to which particular administrative issues have been identified in the way Student Universal Support Ireland has dealt with higher education grant applications with particular reference to the delays experienced by applicants …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 28 May]