I would like to welcome this positive response from the Minister on this particular issue.

It is important to assure parents and students that the current criteria in place will be strengthened to prevent a reoccurrence of such errors in the coming years.

Students are under massive pressure during an exam situation, all their months of study leads up to this exam.

Undue stress was caused by this error and I’m sure this would have been felt outside of this particular question.

I hope that these factors are considered when devising a marking system for the papers which were affected.

I was assured by Minister Quinn that this will be taken into account by the Chief Examiner when finalising the marking schemes for these exams.

The SEC is ensuring that no candidate is disadvantaged as a result of an error that has occurred.

This is an extremely worrying for students and their parents, particularly Leaving Certificate students to whom CAO options and points levels are of critical concern.

When asked about the precautionary measures which are being taken for the future, the Minister stated that the SEC will review its existing processes and procedures in order to implement measures to strengthen the quality assurance underpinning the preparation of examination papers.

I fully intend to follow up on this SEC report to the Minister, it is essential that such an incident does not occur again therefore we need to know what exactly what went wrong and why.

This investment is a real vote of confidence in Cork and Ireland’s thriving technology sector.

Cork is fast becoming a technology hub, EMC has been doing business here for 25 years and the continued investment announced today will accelerate their success going forward.

The creation of further jobs inIreland, illustrates the long-term commitment the company has made to the country.

The new full-time positions will be based in a new EMC office in Citygate, Mahon, CoCorkand the company is aiming to fill these positions by the end of 2013.

These positions are of great value to the economy, they are highly skilled jobs spanning across a number of areas, such as engineering, customer support, sales, finance, research and development and IT.

The company already employs approximately 3,000 people in Ireland, their focus on cloud computing and Big Data is just the kind of business that the Action Plan for Jobs has been trying to attract.

The project has been supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland.

Through my work in the Seanad and on the Job Committee, I have campaigned for technology visas and the necessary educational reform which will foster innovation as this industry continues to flourish.

I am delighted this funding is available Poor road surface and potholes are a serious issue following the bad weather we have had in recent times. This can be dangerous causing damage to cars and creating unsafe driving conditions, I would encourage the authorities in Cork to act without delay and address the level of road disrepair as the monies must be spent this year.

This money is part of the additional €50m for regional and local roads expenditure which was granted in this year; undoubtedly it will have a positive impact on roads across the country. Individual Local Authorities are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of regional and local roads. In addition to this initiative, I would encourage to ensure sufficient investment is given to road maintenance from their own resources. The benefits of early action are evident when it comes to road repair work, neglect will cost much more in the long run.

Following on from last year’s Infrastructure Stimulus Plan this week it was announced that an additional investment 150 million in Exchequer capital funding for 2013 to 2014. This represents the first phase of the Exchequer element of the Stimulus Plan.

The new programme of projects announced by the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform will include a mix of small scale essential works and some larger projects with roll out beginning over the summer.

Projects will be delivered in the areas of schools, energy efficiency and roads repairs. Ongoing maintenance of capital stock in these sectors is essential to help keep them in good repair and helps prevent more costly replacement of dilapidated buildings and roads.

For these reasons, a total of €150 million will be invested in 28 school projects, local road maintenance and repairs, and a Local Authority Energy Efficiency Scheme.

This investment is additional to the capital allocations already provided for the relevant Departments (€414m for Education; €900m for Transport & €726m for Environment in 2013). The additional Exchequer investment will be funded through some of the proceeds from the Lottery licence and/or State asset disposals.

As well as maintaining our assets, the works proposed will help create jobs throughout local communities as minor works tend to be more labour intensive than major new build projects with figures rising in some instances to 17-19 jobs created per €1m expenditure.

Projects to be delivered
In Education, work will be carried out on 28 schools to either replace school buildings or carry out large scale extension or refurbishment projects. The overall cost of progressing these 28 school projects will be in the region of €90m; €50m of which will be provided in additional Exchequer funding and the remainder will be found from within the Department of Education’s existing capital envelope.

This announcement highlights the Government’s commitment to prioritising investment in school buildings. Despite our economic difficulties, the need to replace inadequate educational infrastructure remains.These projects will see over 10,000 students and their whole communities benefit from state-of-the-art accommodation, not to mention the economic boost to the construction industry.

In the roads sector, moneys will be allocated to local roads to carry out much needed surface restoration and road reconstruction works. An additional €50 million in 2013 will allow an extra 600 km of roadway to be rehabilitated to a high standard. The proposed funding would be allocated to the 29 local authorities for use primarily on restoration works.

Two successive severe winters have taken their toll on the road network and this investment is very welcome.

Public Capital Investment
The investment announced today is additional to that being delivered through the Medium Term Exchequer Capital Framework. That Framework includes investment of €17bn over the period 2012 – 2016 with €3.4bn being invested in 2013. There will be direct employment benefits in the delivery of the infrastructure proposed in the Investment Framework which focuses on school building, health care facilities, local transport schemes and road maintenance and retrofitting schemes, all of which have a high labour content.

It is important to note, however, that the most important contribution capital investment can now make is in providing the capacity for the economy to grow, which will in turn create employment. In this context, supports to the enterprise sector primarily through agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and the IDA were protected in the five year Framework.

While €3.4bn in Exchequer capital investment will take place in 2013, an additional €2bn in Public Capital investment will also take place (mostly through State agencies) bringing the total level of investment through the Public Capital Programme up to €5.6bn in 2013.

Investing in Infrastructure & Jobs – Exchequer Stimulus Projects 2013/2014

This could help your business, if it adheres to the following criteria:

• If it is a commercially Viable Businesses
• A Sole Trader, Partnership or Limited Company
• If there is less than 10 Staff and a turnover less than €2M
• It can be a start-up or existing business
• All business sectors are considered
• Loans of €2K to €25K
• Three Year Term
• 8.8% APR Fixed Interest Rate
• Current Valid Tax Clearance Certificate

How to apply:

• Fill out an Application Form
• Make a Business Plan
• Include a 3 Year Cashflow Projections and Summary Profit & Loss Account
• Business Accounts – if you have an Existing Business
• 6 Month Bank Statements
• Business and Personal
• Bank Decline Letter
• Tax Clearance Certification

Talk to your Local Enterprise Board (LEO)

They can give you support on

• Business Plan
• Application Form
• Mentoring

OR

Send directly with your supporting documents to:

Microfinance Ireland

Jefferson House

Eglinton Road
Donnybrook

Dublin 4

For more information, please see: www.microfinanceireland.ie

The numbers signing up for higher maths has increased by 2,129 on last year to more than 14,500  students.

This represents an increase of over 50% over 2011 and last year 97.7% of students achieved a standard of D or higher.

I am delighted to say that the system of awarding bonus points in return for sitting high level maths is working.

This move is something I campaigned for while in opposition and it was welcomed in my report “A review of the ICT skills demand in Ireland” which was launched by the Jobs Committee.

The extra points on offer have obviously encouraged more students to sit honours maths while in previous years many might have been tempted to drop to ordinary level.

Mathematical skills when moving onto study or work are extremely valuable for students, for example graduates of science and ICT courses are highly sought after by the industry.

There are an estimated 5,000 jobs in the booming ICT sector in Ireland and we need top quality graduate is to fill these roles.

By making maths a priority in our education system, students are becoming more employable and better equipped with key skills as they move onto a new stage in their lives.

Students should consider the ample opportunities which could be on offer if they choose to further their education in this area.

This was a necessary and positive step from the BAI, it is clear that in Ireland and in the Western World generally, we have a serious problem with obesity.

Ireland needs a culture overhaul and we all need to start making healthy eating and exercise a priority. Many people’s diets are saturated with unhealthy foods with little or no nutritional value. This has an overwhelmingly adverse impact on our public health.

“According to a recent UCC study, people being overweight costs the country over €1.1 billion per year, this money is used for treatment of the ailments associated with the condition.

Advertising is an extremely effective strategy in growing already massively profitable corporations which manufacture and sell junk food. It is crucial that vulnerable children are protected from being used in this way.

According to The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute approximately one in four or 30,000 primary school children are either overweight or obese.

Initiatives similar to the move from the BAI will hopefully mean that this startlingly high number will be reduced.

A consultation process has resulted in cheese advertising not being banned as part of this plan, although cheese is high in fats it also has health benefits when consumed in moderation.

Advertisements for cheese products will be required to carry an on-screen message indicating the recommended maximum daily consumption limit, in my view this means consumers will be educated and this will positively influence their decisions on what to eat.

As we all are aware, adults are also extremely susceptible to advertising so I am pleased that from September no more than 25% of sold advertising time and only one in four advertisements for these food types are permissible across the broadcast day on radio and television services.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has today announced a major re-organisation of the country’s higher education sector that includes provision for the creation of new Technological Universities. Fine Gael Senator Deirdre Clune is the author of “A review of the ICT skills demand in Ireland” and she is welcoming the development.

This announcement follows recommendations made by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to the Department of Education. The HEA ‘s report  called for consolidation of the Institute of Technology  (IT) sector;  the creation of a small number  of technological universities ;  the formation of regional clusters between universities and stronger  ITs ; implementation of recommendations to rationalise teacher education; as well as increased sustainability and capacity in the higher education system.

This is a positive announcement for Irish higher education. The proposal that CIT and IT Tralee would combine to form a Technological University is very good news for students in the region as it will create a larger entity that will have a greater international standing and improved facilities.

Ireland’s educational institutions are small by international standards. However we operate in a global economy and our graduates will be working on the world stage.

The quality of our education is important and combining these two entities will provide for a pooling and enhancement of resources in these ITs.

“This would considerably aid in harnessing the talent we have in this country to generate home grown innovation and top class graduates.  

 I hope the next stage in which the two institutes will engage to see if they can reach Technological University status will progress successfully.

The request of the Minister that the South/South East will form a regional cluster of Universities in the region would be a positive progression as it will ensure that Ireland’s third system can compete internationally for funding and students.

 A strong third level sector plays a vital role in our economic development, it is also extremely important for the social development of our young people.

An interesting survey has recently been carried out by Fastrack to IT (FIT) which included input from 38 major technology companies.

“The study estimated there are 4,500 job vacancies in the ICT sector and unsurprisingly; it also highlighted the major skills shortage in the area.

Unfortunately, as I have also found through my own research, the report states these positions are not being filled due to massive shortage of suitably skilled applicants.

The companies surveyed believe that many of these vacancies are at the intermediate skills level and people could be upskilled through programmes that would only take between 6 to 24 months to complete.

The Action Plan for Jobs 2013 has targeted this issue, for example the Conversion Programmes and Springboard ICT courses have been extremely successful in upskilling and retraining people with talents in these areas.

Earlier this year it was announced that 2,000 additional ICT graduates will be provided in 2013. These graduates will be generated by harnessing home grown talent and by attracting highly valuable workers into the country through a technology visa system which I have long campaigned for.

The government has the collective primary goal of providing Ireland with the highest proportion of ICT graduates as a share of third level graduates by 2018.

These initiatives are all part of my own and the government’s efforts to transform Ireland into the Silicon Valley of Europe.

We need to ensure that we foster the development of an entrepreneurial culture that supports people with the right kind of drive and creative thinking to achieve success in business.

I believe that Sean O’Sullivan’s experience in technology and business innovation will be invaluable to the Forum. Together they can achieve real results.

This forum will provide an opportunity for people to share their relevant experiences and influence Government policy as the Minister continues to support new enterprises.

There will be a public consultation inviting interested parties to make submissions as part of an assessment of the current environment for entrepreneurial activity.

The initiative is part of the Action Plan for Jobs and is in addition to many other measures which have been implemented to help drive growth.

This is including a microfinance scheme and credit guarantee scheme to provide better access to finance, as well as establishing a network of first-stop shops in every county to make it easier for businesses to access supports.

Research by the Central Bank shows that 67% of all new job-creation comes from businesses which are in the first five years of existence; this clearly illustrates the value of start ups to our economy.