Ninth Level Ireland

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the data provided on foot of a recent freedom of information request (details supplied); the analysis his Department has carried out across third-level institutions which fall under the responsibility of his Department into the fining of students for the late payment of registration fees; if this issue will be examined as part of the ongoing review of Higher Education Authority legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dail written answers, 1 April]

“Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael): I am delighted to be here today again addressing Dáil Éireann on the work of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. We have been working very hard in recent months to establish a new Department. Indeed, the Department was only formally set up in law last August and we have tried to pursue an ambitious agenda of work since then …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 10 March]

“Galway TDs have called for NUI Galway (NUIG) to review its €295 repeat exam fee, in light of the complications that the coronavirus caused for students sitting exams this year. The university has come under fire from NUI Galway Students’ Union (NUIGSU) over the exam fee, which NUIGSU said should be waived this year …” (more)

[Cormac Watson, University Times, 14 July]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the application by the Munster technological university consortium on behalf of Cork IT and Tralee IT to become a technological university; if the implementation of the recommendations of the international advisory panel as endorsed by the HEA and him have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis; the revised timeline to allow each of the recommendations to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 13 May]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the amount of funding her Department provided to Science Foundation Ireland in 2017, 2018 and 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 October]

“Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail): We will now deal with item No 8 on today’s agenda, which is the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Special Report 104, which deals with Waterford Institute of Technology in respect of the development and disposal of intellectual property in FeedHenry. The Comptroller and Auditor General is joined by Shane Carton, deputy director of audit …” (more)

[Public Accounts Committee, 24 January]

“Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail): In this session we will examine the Comptroller and Auditor General’s special report No 103 on the handling of remuneration for certain senior staff in the University of Limerick and Institute of Technology Sligo. We have also requested an update on the implementation of Dr Thorn’s Independent Review of Certain Matters and Allegations Relating to the University of Limerick …” (more)

[Public Accounts Committee, 24 January]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the sum of moneys allocated by the Irish Research Council in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018 under the enterprise partnership schemes or employment led schemes; the amount recouped from employers in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 21 February]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which each of the recommendations of the report of the expert group, Higher Education Authority, HEA, national review of gender equality in Irish higher education institutions, has been implemented in each institution, in tabular form; the timeframe for the implementation of each recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 15 February]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the scheme, as identified as necessary by NUIG’s gender task force, to address the gender imbalance among administrative staff grades will be implemented; the reason for the delay in its implementation; the number and grade of persons tasked with its formulation and implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 6 December]

“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of moneys due to NUIG in view of the confirmation given by the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Committee of Public Accounts on 6 April 2017 that the financial statements of NUIG recognised an amount of €17.5 million due from a foundation to the university at 30 September 2014 regarding capital projects in 2011, if that sum has been paid in full or in part and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 6 December 2017]

“NUIG President Dr James Browne has agreed it was ‘unusual’ that the School of Law paid €143,000 plus VAT for one consultancy firm for 22 months’ work. Dr Browne was responding to queries by Galway West TD Catherine Connolly at the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, in relation to monies paid for professional services from consultancy, Results Through People Limited …” (more)

[Dara Bradley, Connacht Tribune, 24 April]