Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State to the House. I will first address some topics for discussion to the Minister. Many third level students have not received an authentic college experience. That is to be expected given the pandemic we are experiencing and the spiralling numbers of transmissions, particularly in the past few months.

That said, will the Minister comment on the well-being of our third level student population? The demand for additional mental health supports is well-documented in newspaper articles or studies undertaken at third level and the strain placed on existing services is obvious. It is estimated that the demand for mental health supports have more than doubled during the pandemic. Isolation and online learning have taken their toll in that respect but I understand why this is necessary. That said, can the Minister detail what additional supports have been made available for third level institutions throughout the pandemic in terms of additional counsellors, mental health supports, etc.?

The Minister mentioned earlier that the 50808 helpline, a HSE 24-7 service, is available for people suffering with mental health difficulties. Are other additional resources allocated to third level institutions?

My second question leads on from the first. I suppose the Minister might say I am being a little optimistic but I will ask all the same. It relates to return to on-campus activities in a staged manner, like what we heard today from the Minister for Education and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education. Is any section in the Department drawing up a plan or blueprint for the return to campuses throughout the country by the end of this academic year or to prepare for September?

My third question relates to dropouts numbers from college courses. Does the Minister have any details about whether this might suggest that the impact of Covid-19 or being off campus has led to an increase in the number of students dropping out from college?

My fourth question is for the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. Earlier he referred to apprenticeships and upskilling, especially as we try to recover after Covid-19 in terms of strengthening and diversifying our economy. I welcome the Government's apprenticeship initiative and its extension to the summer of 2021 to provide for allowances for employers in taking on apprentices. That said, does he have any detail regarding how many apprentices have been taken on in 2020 and how this compares with previous years? Has there been an increase or decrease in that regard? I wish to emphasise the need for investment and prioritisation of apprenticeships in the leisure, food and hospitality sector post Covid-19. As we all know in this Chamber, these sectors of the economy have been worst hit and impacted. It would hearten many in those industries to hear what the Government's intentions are in that regard.

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