Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State. It is great to have them with us today with fantastic news about getting our staff and students back to college in September. That €105 million shows true commitment and that the Government sees this as an essential service, as has been noted clearly. I especially welcome the €23 million. We have done a lot with the SUSI consultation the Minister spoke about earlier to ensure our students have equal and fair access to further and higher education studies.

The Minister mentioned the breakdown. I am on the first mental health subcommittee ever in the Oireachtas. We heard from student groups about the importance and impact on mental health of students having to work from home. It has been a tough year. The thing one loves about college is being in lectures and having inspiring and passionate lecturers. I am sure they try to be inspiring and passionate online but it is not the same. It is good to hear there is a commitment to open up.

On the student assistance fund and the financial support, I know from NUI Galway the previous funding the Minister provided funded nearly 4,000 laptops in that university. There has been an impact. I spoke with the students' union president there during the week.

When it comes to mitigating disadvantage, it is important we look at how we support all groups, including vulnerable groups, to have access to third level. With the apprenticeship programmes, there are so many opportunities, not just through the colleges and universities system, but through further education. That earn and learn option is available and one can get up to National Framework of Qualifications, NFQ, level.

A representative of Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, appeared before the committee earlier this week and spoke about the options and how QQI is working very closely with SOLAS.

The Minister of State mentioned that campuses of universities and colleges would be opening up to allow apprentices to do practicals that are part of their courses over the summer. Regarding the apprenticeship programme, there are about 60 courses at the moment and I know another 18 are planned. Will the Minister of State update us on the roll-out of those programmes?

The west is leading the way. I know the Minister was down in Galway during the week. It is fantastic to see UniCoV, which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and led by NUI Galway. This is a randomised clinical study on the pilot of rapid antigen testing. I am delighted that Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board is one of the five ETBs selected to look at rapid diagnostic antigen tests. Research has had an impact all over the world with Covid and the lockdown.

Regarding extensions for researchers, there is a lot of anxiety about trying to meet all the deadlines researchers must meet. Does the Minister have any information about extensions for researchers? Those aged 18 to 24 can now log on to register for vaccination at vaccine.hse.ieand access mRNA vaccines. That roll-out is crucial for us to be able to open in line with public health guidelines in September.