“Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on recent proposals (details supplied) to grant CAO points for students’ civic activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 11 June]
“Margaret Murphy O’Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students enrolled in higher education in each of the years 2012 to 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 11 June]
“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and the Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (Monday 10 June) invited expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons to fill vacancies of chairperson of Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) and chairperson of Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 10 June]
“Universities say the surge in Leaving Cert candidate numbers evident this year must trigger an increase in Government funding to cater for student demand coming down the tracks. More than 124,000 students start the State exams today, the highest figure in years, and one that will continue growing until the mid 2020s at least …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 5 June]
“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD together with the Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (4 June, 2019) announced a grant support scheme for asylum seekers in third level education will continue for 2019/20. The Pilot Student Support Scheme, which was introduced in 2015, will be open for prospective students who are in the broad international protection system …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 4 June]
“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD, together with the Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD and Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development John Halligan TD today announced capital funding of more than €7.5 million for nine Institutes of Technology and the Technological University (TU) Dublin …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 3 June]
“Leaving Cert pupils who suffer bereavement of close relatives during next month’s exams will be able to sit alternative papers in July. The new move follows long-standing criticism over the existing system which offered little accommodation for bereaved students …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 31 May]
“James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the establishment of a technological university for the south east; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 14 May]
“Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether it is acceptable that a family that was forced to emigrate to Australia in 2012 due to the recession and has now returned home is liable for international fees in third level institutions here (details supplied); and his plans to ensure that this charge is changed and that persons who have had to emigrate are not affected in such a manner …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 14 May]
“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and the Minister of State for Training, Skills Innovation, Research and Development John Halligan TD today launched a new suite of courses under Springboard+ 2019. This brings the number of courses to 285 and the number of places available from this academic year to over 9,000 …” (more)
[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 15 May]
“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]
“Minister for Education Joe McHugh is set to be told by the State’s curriculum advisers that making history compulsory for junior-cycle students could undermine recent education reforms. Mr McHugh last year sought a review on whether history should be an optional subject in the junior cycle after concerns that some students would never learn about key moments in national history …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 1 May]
“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD today (Tuesday 30 April) welcomed the publication of the Action Plan for Education 2019 Quarter 1 progress report. The Action Plan – Cumasú is based on the idea of empowering through learning. The Plan highlights the significant strategic reform programme under way in the education and training sector …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 30 April]
“Student grant rules for eligible Irish students in UK higher education institutions and UK students in Irish HEIs remain as usual for 2019/20. The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today announced the opening of the Student Grant Scheme for applications for the 2019/20 academic year and highlighted a number of improvements that will benefit some of the most disadvantaged students …” (more)
[Department of Education and Skills, 25 April]
“Public service unions have had discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure on a review of the pay terms set out in the agreement for State employees, informed sources have said. Minister of Education Joe McHugh said on Tuesday he was aware that the parties to the Public Service Stability Agreement were engaged in exploratory discussions …” (more)
[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 25 April]
“A second-level teachers union leader said the junior cycle reforms must be properly evaluated before any changes are made to the Leaving Cert. Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) president Seamus Lahart said while a senior cycle review was under way there was no evidence of the positive and negative consequences of the radical overhaul of the Junior Cert …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 25 April]
“Teachers’ unions are threatening industrial action if the Government does not make a firm commitment over the coming days to restore pay equality for thousands of their members hired since 2011. The warning comes as teachers’ annual conferences get under way this week with pay rates for so-called ‘new entrants’ set to dominate the agenda …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 22 April]
“The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on appeals by the State Examinations Commission and the Minister for Education and over parts of a High Court decision allowing student Rebecca Carter to take up a place at veterinary medicine at UCD …” (more)
[Aodhan O’Faolain, Irish Times, 12 April]
“Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of plans for university status to be conferred on institutes of technology and in particular upon Athlone Institute of Technology; the timescale envisaged for such development; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 10 April]
“The Irish Universities Association (IUA) welcomes the announcement today by Ministers Joe McHugh and John Halligan of €12 million investment by the Irish Research Council in ground-breaking, basic research projects. Twelve researchers will each receive a maximum of €1 million funding under the Irish Research Council’s Advanced Laureate Awards to conduct leading-edge research over four years …” (more)
[IUA, 11 April]
