James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I will make an opening statement and then the Chair of the Oireachtas committee, Deputy Erin McGreehan, will speak and the Minister of State, Deputy Marian Harkin, will close the debate at the end.

I welcome that we have taken some time in the House today to address one of the most important issues that confronts a Government at any time, but particularly in changing and challenging times such as we are now in, that being, the education of its people and the generation of new knowledge, insights and ideas to propel our society into the future.

Since the formation of my Department less than five years ago, we have seen a period of intense change, technological disruption, and impact from climate change. We very much live in interesting times, but the fundamental strength of our higher education and research has allowed us to excel during that time. My Department was established to ensure that Ireland's economy and society were enabled to thrive in the 21st century and to adapt to exactly these types of shock. In that way, I see our role as both responding to the immediate needs of today but also looking forward as we chart a course towards the needs of tomorrow.

As Minister, I am guided by four clear priorities - first, to foster research and innovation as an economic enabler; second, to provide high-quality, accessible higher education; third, to expand pathways to skills, reskilling, and apprenticeships that match Ireland’s evolving workforce needs; and fourth, to promote curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge as a public good.

By ensuring that individuals are able to achieve their goals, the wider community is also served and benefits. Private enterprise generates the resources which fuel the public good. We may be entering a phase of economic uncertainty at the moment, and history has shown us that this inevitably leads to a rise in demand for higher education and training. It is therefore essential that our skills and education systems are well prepared if this comes to pass. We have many supports and policies aimed at our learners, but I am also conscious of the need to plan ahead, for the long term and to consider what the people in our colleges in 2025 will be working on in 2035 or 2045. What are the future jobs? What are the future challenges? What societal and economic problems might our students of today begin to solve in the years ahead?

That is one of the reasons I am working hard to build up our research system and take it to a higher level. This is a critical step to allow us to compete for the future. Basic research is where the building blocks of a modern economy are forged. Those developments in turn drive innovation and ultimately secure employment and high-value jobs. Ireland is a leading player in several important industries, as everyone in this House knows well. We export the products of those industries worldwide, namely, pharmaceuticals and medicines, semiconductors and medical devices. We are home to many leading multinationals, such as Microsoft, Intel, Pfizer, Google and Apple. In fact, we are home to nine of the top ten global software companies, nine of the top ten technology giants and three of the top four Internet companies. We have a challenge to retain those companies. That is critical, but we must also be able to offer them a new proposition within and from Ireland. Of course, we must always support our indigenous enterprise and innovators. We want to be able to tell them that we are the place to come, to produce, to stay, to manufacture and to market and design products, but that we are also a place where a globally competitive research system can be accessed and where the next generation of products can be created. We can say that.

Tyndall National Institute in Cork is an example of a leading semiconductor research centre. It is one which attracts researchers from all over the world, working with leading manufacturers and designers in the semiconductor industry. As semiconductors are so vital to so many parts of the economy, the work of researchers here stretches across and touches on many other areas, such as animal health, medicine, consumer products, mobile technologies or mobility solutions. The humble microchip or semiconductor is a part of almost all technology today.

The challenge is to ensure that we can do that while also providing that expertise ecosystem in other important areas. We cannot lead in every area; we must be strategic. However, we need to align with our existing strengths and the sectors where we conclude there will be opportunities for Ireland, such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, ICT, advanced manufacturing and so on.

It is also important to look at the creative industries in the arts and the humanities. We are at the beginning of the rise of machines and AI, and this will create a growing demand for creativity. The expansion of automation means that people will need to adjust, learn to embrace soft skills and bring the innovation that machines will not generate. Creative people will stand out, and the jobs that will prevail will depend on human interaction. I happened to attend the RDS annual craft showcase on Friday, and I met many skilled artisans in areas such as farriery, metalwork, leatherwork and woodwork. One of the statistics that impressed me on the day was that those employed in the creative and cultural industries match those employed in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries, yet we hear a lot about the latter - rightly so - but the former is sometimes neglected. The arts and the creative industries are just as important as any other.

The programme for Government sets out an ambitious set of commitments for research and innovation, key to which is the implementation of the national research and innovation strategy, Impact 2030. The formation of Taighde Éireann -Research Ireland in August 2024 is aiding the building of a more effective and cohesive national research and innovation ecosystem. This new agency is working hand in hand with the Higher Education Authority, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and many other State agencies and private sector organisations to ensure delivery of Ireland's research and innovation ambitions. Our university-backed research, including frontier, discovery and applied research, is being funded by the agency on a statutory basis across all disciplines and fields for the first time, creating scope for stronger engagement in transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. The agency will work with stakeholders to engage, encourage and support our excellent university researchers, and ensure that a strong research talent pipeline continues to flow through Ireland. Under budget 2025, additional funding was announced for Taighde Éireann, with its total budget funding research now standing at €309.2 million. It is important that we continue to push forward on this agenda, and that we remain ambitious about our funding, our targets and our potential.

I am urgently concerned with rebuilding our capacity in relation to research infrastructure and equipment. The programme for Government committed to investment in a renewed programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI. It is writ large in that programme, which we will now implement. The original PRTLI marked a quantum leap forward in the supports available to our researchers and the kinds of activities they could undertake. It was a turning point in Ireland’s development as a knowledge economy and the State’s first major strategic investment in research capacity, infrastructure and training. It empowered Ireland’s universities to define their own research priorities while ensuring that funding decisions were completely devolved to a world-class, independent assessment panel, thus avoiding any conflicts of interest. The programme drove collaboration, built capacity and embedded excellence across disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences and STEM. It changed our country, economy and society. It is time to introduce a successor programme, a new PRTLI and a new research infrastructure fund, and I am intensely engaged on that at the moment.

My Department is a young one, and I recognise that research ambition of this magnitude was perhaps not prioritised sufficiently in its early years. It is hard to do everything at one time. However, as the new Minister, I intend to refocus on research and innovation, and I am pleased to have the full backing of the Taoiseach and the Government in doing so. My ambition is to deliver a new programme that responds to today’s needs while retaining the founding spirit of the original PRTLI. This will include targeted support for equipment renewal, recognising that much of the original equipment is now becoming obsolete. However, the majority of funding will be reserved for a major competitive call based on application quality, designed to drive institutional ambition, deepen collaborative links, deliver real system-wide impacts and create space for excellence to flourish in order that we can transform Ireland’s research landscape once again. My Department's working committee is actively developing a new proposal for this. I intend to pursue a sustainable. multi-annual funding pathway through the national development plan. We also continue to make other targeted investments in research infrastructure, such as the higher education research equipment grant and the recent €17.7 million research infrastructure programme investment to supplement and provide the environment and tools that our researchers need for global competition.

Since my appointment I have been engaging directly with representatives of industry, workers, institutions and universities to hear their concerns, hopes and aspirations. I am committed, as is the Government through the Government trade forum, to engaging with industry, academies and the various bodies using all the levers at our disposal to drive that economic enablement that this sector can provide.

We are also working to make Ireland a place that can attract talent and that it is attractive to those seeking to fly from other jurisdictions or to move to a place that values science, academic integrity and creative thought. Our researchers are internationally connected. Excellent research knows no borders or arbitrary rules, and is often achieved through strong international collaboration. Last Thursday I was proud to sign the associate membership agreement with CERN on behalf of Ireland - an outcome I had long campaigned for since my time as Opposition spokesperson - along with many others in the science community. I spent 25 years campaigning. In my first 100 days, I visited Geneva twice, and have now brought this over the line. A motion will follow in this House to formalise the ratification in due course, hopefully before the summer recess. I would welcome support from all sides of the House in this important endeavour.

In the current geopolitical environment, there is growing uncertainty about academic freedom, jobs, funding for various institutions in the United States and elsewhere and what will happen to the research and those programmes. The potential to solve some of the biggest issues of our time, including in healthcare, digital technologies, the future of work and featuring modern skills, is being placed in jeopardy. Just this morning, the Cabinet approved my proposal to roll out a new global talent initiative to bring high-performing researchers to Ireland. The programme will advance commitments in the programme for Government and focus on areas of opportunity, including, but not limited to energy security, healthcare, life sciences, digital technologies, food security, semiconductors, quantum technologies and others.

The United States became a global leader in research when it welcomed scientists from overseas and became a Mecca for university-led innovation and the best and brightest minds of a generation. That tide is now turning and the flow of talent and human capital may well begin to turn another way. We saw how Europe has responded to this with a strong call by President von der Leyen, Président Macron and others and I am committed to echoing that call, supporting pan-European efforts and putting our Irish formula to work to attract top talent that is looking for a new home. During the Second World War, then Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, courted Erwin Schrödinger, who came to Dublin as a refugee and went on to be part of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, which is now a well established and successful, high-end research hub in our capital city. It continues to have an impact on Ireland through its research.

We also agreed to send innovation attachés around the world to centres of research excellence and centres of industry and innovation. Two have already been appointed to San Francisco and Boston and I propose to send further attachés around the world to partner with institutions and bring some of that research and industrial and innovation talent home. We are also advancing partnerships in Europe, such as the European Universities alliances, and through the shared island dimension, we are working North-South and east-west. I had the privilege to visit Queen's University recently during George Mitchell's visit. I met the chancellor and the team there and I will engage with counterparts in the UK and London in the next few weeks to advance those east-west and North-South relations.

Horizon Europe is a critical fund from which our researchers have drawn down almost €895 million to date and we will continue to do more. I will continue as Minister, on behalf of the State, to advocate for significant further funding to be allocated across Europe and to Ireland under the next EU Presidency and on an ongoing basis as I attend various Council meetings of research Ministers in Europe.

Last week, I signed the Quantum pact on behalf of Ireland, which brings us into the Quantum 2030 strategy. This means that AI computing and high-performance computing are now supported and propelled to be the next foundation stone of our technological journey of exploration. The implications are huge and the potential is unlimited. They include drug discovery, cancer treatment, life sciences, weather modelling, climate prediction, climate mitigation, financial forecasting and much more. It is the same type of progress as an old dial-up, crackly connection becoming the broadband signal of today. It is a quantum leap in every sense, in respect of computing power and speed of power. Calculations that would have taken up to a year can now be performed in mere moments. This is a real step-change in our powers. I am proud that Ireland has now signed up to it and we will continue to invest in this area.

We have an educated and resilient workforce. Something we have long been proud of is that the Irish population is highly skilled, highly educated and highly versatile and it is one of the reasons we have been successful economically going back to Lemass and Whitaker and policies pursued since then. We need to facilitate young and old people when they seek to access further and higher education and support them to do so. The majority of undergraduate students have their tuition fees paid in full by the State and almost half of all undergraduate students have their student contribution fee paid in full or in part by the State. Despite this, cost remains a major barrier to higher education for many and I want to target interventions at those who need them most. We must continue to help people, examine the spectrum of people in need, give to those who are missing out and examine those educated to see why some people receive supports and others are unfortunately over the income limit. We must continue to examine that and target interventions at those most in need. Last year, we made significant improvements to the student grant scheme and we recently increased the SUSI threshold to €115,000 for undergraduate students. I intend to make further changes in this year’s budget to continue to address access and support those who need it.

Interventions should be fair, targeted and progressive. The cost of education is multifaceted. Fees, transport, accommodation, materials, laboratories, having a weekend job and an income disregard for a grant application are all aspects of the cost of education. I recently held an event in Croke Park with the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. We met a number of learners, access officers, student representative bodies and people from disadvantaged groups who were advocating and lobbying for various actions. It was a useful event. I continue to consult widely and I intend to publish an options paper during the summer, prior to the budget, to better inform the choices we make, because with limited resources we always have to make choices. How can we make a choice that is progressive and fair and means the ultimate outcome is that no student is priced out of education due to financial barriers?

I am also focusing on developing new innovative pathways into education, expanding pathways beyond the CAO process, including further education and training courses, apprenticeships, part-time courses, Springboard courses, microcredentials and microqualifications. Tertiary degree programmes enable students to begin learning in a local further education and training, FET, college and transfer seamlessly into a higher education institution after the first or second year. I was in Grangegorman last week where I met a number of students participating in tertiary degrees around the country. Some were studying in Donegal, some in the west and some in the south. I spoke to a number of students who had attended an education and training board, ETB, course in the first or second year and that gave them the confidence and wherewithal to progress to a more traditional third level institution for the their third and fourth years. They qualified with the same degrees as everyone else, but they did not go through the CAO points system to get there. They came by a different route that was more comforting, familiar and welcoming to them. Those courses have become a success very quickly. I was delighted to see them double in number this year, from 19 last year to 38 such courses offering places this year.

Apprenticeships offer a rapid route to employment while providing valuable qualifications. The earn as you learn model is a wonderful way to support people and attract them into different industries, including some where it is vital we increase the pipeline of course entrants. Last year, we launched the advanced manufacturing engineering level 8 programme, the digital marketing level 6 programme, the social work level 9 programme and the software solutions architecture level 9 programme. The apprenticeships include the traditional crafts, the hard hats and work boots on sites and the many different skilled trades that populate that sector, but they are also in such areas as digital marketing, cybersecurity, the accounting technician sector and many other areas that were not conceived as apprenticeships originally. It has gone on to spread across 77 different programmes and continues to grow into new areas. That is a welcome development.

When I talk about the cost of education and barriers to education, we have to consider student accommodation. The ability to access accommodation is a core challenge and part of the housing challenge. It is a significant priority for me as I come into the Department and it has already been one for the Department. I am look forward to delivering a new student accommodation strategy this year. I am aware that long commutes, which many students have to make, take away attention and energy from focusing on college, studies and the secondary parts of college life, which are equally important, including friendship, relationships and participation in societies. The ability to take modular courses and be able to participate in college life is not easy for people who are commuting long distances. I know that from the experience of my family and that of many others I speak to, and it is an area I intend to address.

My focus is on increasing the supply of student accommodation while supporting students with the costs. The first of our short-term activation projects will come good later this year. Maynooth University is on track to deliver 116 new beds as part of this short-term activation measure. University College Dublin, UCD, is also on track to bring 493 beds to tender stage - that will be brought to the governing board in June for consideration - and Dublin City University, DCU, has a proposal for 405 beds which will go to its governing authority for review and decision this summer also. The technological sector student accommodation programme is another factor, as is the national standardised design study, which is developing cost-effective, scalable models for future State-supported student housing. These are important measures that will bring about increased accommodation and affordable costs for all students.

I will quickly focus on skills as I will yield time to Deputy McGreehan in a moment. Research fuels innovation, but skills drive the realisation of that innovation. Skills are key to our resilience and social cohesion. They open the door to opportunities and have always been a key to Ireland's success. I am focused on ensuring we do not have any gaps in our skills mix. I will work with Government colleagues and stakeholders to expand higher education provision in key disciplines where there is a shortfall of graduates. Traditional skills such as construction are using new methods such modern methods of construction. The changes in AI and digital technologies and so forth will challenge us to produce the skills we need for our modern workforce and societal needs. The National Training Fund has a budget of €1.5 billion, which has been constrained in recent years. I recently brought the issue to the Cabinet and secured approval to legislate to unlock the National Training Fund and spend that money as it is intended, on higher education, plugging the core funding gap, further education, research development and many other areas that are essential to our prosperity and societal wellness.

I look forward to the debate and listening to other contributors. I yield to Deputy McGreehan.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for sharing time on this hugely important issue. As he will be aware, I was recently honoured to be appointed by An Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, as Chair of the Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I look forward to working with the Minister responsible, the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and the committee members from across these Houses to add our voices to the future of this sector.

The importance of this sector cannot be underestimated. Investing in education is an investment in our economy. Expanding access and excellence in further and higher education has been a core priority for Fianna Fáil for much of our party’s history. As the Minister mentioned, it goes back to the 1940s when Éamon de Valera established the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. It was transformative and we have a positive and proud record. Now, 85 years on, let us make another impact.

Our continued social and economic progress relies on a skilled workforce. We must be focused on equipping young people and those returning to education with the necessary tools to achieve this. Creating diverse training and education opportunities through apprenticeships and further and higher education sectors, North and South, is important. By acknowledging the transformative power of higher and further education, research and skills, we can unlock the crucial economic enablers that will give this country the skills it needs to be the leader we want it to be. To say I am ambitious for this sector and what it can achieve is an understatement. We are in a rapidly evolving world. As we navigate through a period of profound change driven by technological advancements and shifting economic and political landscapes, it is more important than ever to recognise the pivotal role education and innovation will play in driving economic growth, fostering competitiveness and creating sustainable prosperity. We have a responsibility to find the ways that foster and cultivate talent and create the environment that will drive innovation and research.

On that note, I am very glad today that the Minister has received Cabinet approval for a global talent initiative that will see investment in attracting top academics and researchers to Ireland. It is exciting to read that the Minister is actively focusing on the areas of research and innovation, medical technology, renewables and food technology. It is a huge opportunity for us. I ask, and the Minister touched on this in his contribution, that as part of this package, the Government commit to invest in research equipment. Currently, a lot of the infrastructure is outdated and, as the Minister rightly said, there is a real need, as recognised in the programme for Government, for a new programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI. It is needed to provide integrated financial support for research. Research infrastructure is the foundation for a high-performing innovation system. Without it, talent, ideas and investment cannot translate into a national impact. Currently, we do not have the infrastructure to support the growing ambition to tackle and address the challenges from health and AI to climate to culture and public policy. Targeted investment in renewing high-value equipment would unlock capacity quickly. This is low risk and high return. Infrastructure will enable research excellence, support enterprise, drive innovation and attract EU and private co-funding.

We know the talent is there. Young people, and everyone else, are hungry to learn. They are fascinated by how things work, how problems get solved and how they can make a difference. We are seeing this in action. Just recently, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, announced €6.5 million in funding for over 40 STEM engagement initiatives. One brilliant example is the all-Ireland STEM passport for inclusion, which is supporting over 5,000 students, particularly girls and students from DEIS schools. Once students choose a path, we need them to stay on it and thrive. This means tackling the high dropout rates head on. It means recognising that the cost-of-living crisis, the lack of affordable accommodation and the mounting pressure are real barriers for students. If we want them to succeed, we need to ease those burdens so they can focus not on survival, but on thriving and innovating.

Of course, none of this exists in a vacuum. We need a broader ecosystem that supports not only education but also innovation and employment. This is why increased investment in research and development is so critical. We want our graduates not just to have degrees but to have world-class opportunities here at home to innovate, lead and help shape the Ireland of tomorrow.

Skills development and workforce planning is another essential pillar of economic empowerment in the face of changing demands. We have a huge skills shortfall. It is essential the Minister leads a body of work that highlights these gaps and looks to future gaps we do not even know about yet to ensure we plan to fill them by investing in our tertiary education offerings and improving our economic outcomes. We should also look at our existing institutions, including Dundalk Institute of Technology and Louth and Meath Education and Training Board. We can really create the opportunities. I look forward to seeing the Minister's policies create opportunities. I also look forward to working with the Minister and Minister of State on these issues.

Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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I speak today about something that touches every community, family and sector of our economy. I refer to the power of further education in an ever-changing Ireland. We are living in a time of profound transformation, technologically, economically and socially. In such a dynamic world, education is not just a tool for personal development; it is the backbone of national resilience and progress. In Ireland, we proudly hold the belief that higher education is a universal good, and rightly so. Time and again, our graduates go on to contribute enormously to society. Whether in classrooms, clinics, studios, factories or research labs, they help us to grow, heal, build and imagine. Yet, we must also acknowledge the challenges facing our system. Despite our progress, the dropout rate in higher education remains stubbornly high, at around 11%. This figure represents thousands of young people who began with ambition but did not complete their journeys. Behind each number is a story of financial hardship, inadequate support or a system that did not adapt to their needs. If education is a universal good, then our commitment must also be universal to help every learner reach the finish line.

A highly skilled labour force is not optional; it is essential for Ireland's future prosperity. It is these skills in construction, healthcare, technology and trade that will help us to address the housing and healthcare crises and unlock the potential of emerging technologies. Fortunately, Ireland has cultivated a strong reputation as a hub for research and innovation. Our ability to attract foreign investment is no accident. It is built on the foundation of a skilled and adaptable workforce. Yet, in this picture of progress, apprenticeships remain an under-leveraged asset. They bridge the gap between education and the real world, equipping people with practical skills while offering a vital route to employment. The Government's Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, with its goal of 10,000 registrations by 2025, is a step of the right direction. Record registration numbers show a growing appetite for this path. We must confront uncomfortable truths. Dropout rates in apprenticeships hover around 20%, largely due to training delays. Why? It is because off-the-job trainers are not being hired in sufficient numbers and earn less than they could make on-site. Apprenticeships intended to last four years might sometimes stretch to six years. Worse still, apprentices start on subminimum rates of pay and this low income is prolonged by delays in training progression. We cannot expect young people to build our future if the system is failing to build theirs.

SUSI grants are meant to be a safety net for students in further education but too many fall through the cracks. Students under the age of 23 who have left home, often out of necessity, are locked out of funding. Others, aged over 23 but still having to live at home due to the housing crisis, are assessed based not only on their income but also on their parents' income, which is a cruel irony in our current economy. The funding deficit in our education sector has become so large that private companies have begun to step in. While partnerships can offer value, we must not normalise the privatisation of public education. If megacorporations from sectors like aviation tech or pharma begin strategically shaping the education landscape, we risk marginalising disciplines not seen as commercially useful and obscuring the social or environmental harms of the same industries.

Inclusion must remain a pillar of our education system. The National Youth Council of Ireland, representing 54 national voluntary youth organisations, understands this. Its innovative skills summary project recognises youth work as an educational process. It provides a structured way to make non-formal learning outcomes visible, especially for young people furthest from mainstream education. This is not just a good policy but is essential for an inclusive learning society. Let us not forget the role of science and innovation. Ireland has always punched above its weight in this arena. From biotech to AI and from clean energy to advanced materials, we are at the frontier. This will only be the case, though, if we continue to support the research ecosystem. This means public investment in laboratories, early career researchers and interdisciplinary exploration. Innovation does not happen in isolation. It is born where education meets immigration. I cautiously welcome the roll-out of the global talent recruitment initiative. We need to be cautious about the issues we are having here before bringing that initiative to fruition.

The power of further education lies not just in the degrees conferred or the jobs secured but in a society we build together. An inclusive, adaptive and fair education system is the strongest foundation for all of Ireland, which we want it to become. Let us invest in people, remove barriers and celebrate all pathways to success, including academic, vocational and everything in between. Let us hold ourselves accountable for building a system that serves not just today's economy but tomorrow's society.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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B’fhéidir nuair atá rudaí mar seo curtha le chéile nach dtuigeann na Teachtaí cé chomh lárnach is atá an Ghaeilge i ngach gné den saol; san oideachas ach go háirithe. Is cothaitheoir eacnamaíoch í chomh maith. Is léir nach dtuigeann an maorlathas an tábhacht sin, os rud é gur fhágadh an t-ardoideachas as an bpolasaí oideachais lán-Ghaeilge, mar shampla. Tá neamhaird chomh dona sin á dhéanamh uirthi sa chóras gur fhreagraíodh ceist pharlaiminte de mo chuid le déanaí leis an bhfreagra “Ní choinníonn an Institiúid Oideachais taifead faoi láthair ar líon na mic léinn atá ag staidéar trí mheán na Gaeilge san ardoideachas.” Tá sé sin scannalach.

Maidir leis na staitisticí atá ann, is léir nach bhfuil an Rialtas ach ag ligeann air i dtaobh na daltaí agus an Ghaeilge. Titeann líon na daltaí atá fáil oideachas trí Ghaeilge ó 50,000 ag an mbunleibhéal, go dtí 17,000 ag an dara leibhéal, agus tá titim níos tubaisteach arís go dtí 3,000 ó thaobh mic léinn ag déanamh staidéar ar an nGaeilge nó trí Ghaeilge ag an tríú leibhéal. Teastaíonn gníomh le hé a dhéanamh níos éasca do mhic léinn ar mhian leo leanúint leis an nGaeilge ag leibhéal na hollscoile, le réimse leathan cúrsaí mealltacha agus an Stát ag obair i dtreo institiúid lán-Ghaeilge nó Gael-ollscoil, le sin a dhéanamh níos éasca dóibh. Tá taighdeoirí, dlíodóirí, innealtóirí, dochtúirí agus státseirbhísigh le Gaeilge de dhíth más mian linn seirbhísí a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge, agus má táimid ag tnúth go sroichimid 20% d’earcaithe sa Státseirbhís bheith inniúlach sa Ghaeilge roimh 2030.

Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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It is right and positive that we debate the power of higher education. It is simply a shame that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael consistently see it as a soft touch, something to be cut. If there are any consistent trends to Government's approach to higher education, they are inconsistency, pretence and speaking out of both sides of their mouths. In recent weeks in this House, we have discussed all manner of promises to benefit ordinary people that will be broken. We are told, because of economic turbulence, extending sick leave to ten days is delayed. Pension auto-enrolment is delayed. A living wage is delayed. Yet, when it comes to a €1,000 reduction in student fees the Minister is at pains to stress it was a temporary measure in response to the cost-of-living crisis. It is no surprise his party refrained from any such caveat while lauding it in its pre-election manifesto. His Government colleagues in Fine Gael actually promised to abolish fees, and we know what promises from the Tánaiste are worth. Families and students continue to live with the cost-of-living crisis, and as the Government refers to, when delaying measures that benefit ordinary people, there is compounding economic turbulence. Pre-election promises from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of reducing or abolishing third level fees have, in practice and in government, to mean an increase of upwards of €1,000 for as many as every second student. If there is one consistent trend to Fianna Fáil in government, it is clear that it is ordinary workers' families, and students too, who will get screwed. However, the Minister has the power to change this and abolish third level fees.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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It has been said that education is the most important weapon you can use to change the world for the better. In a changing and more complex world to navigate this has never been truer. For our further and higher education institutions to enable economic growth, they must be supported. The programme for Government commits to ongoing investment in these institutions to deliver sustainable economic growth, but we have yet to see that ambition matched with delivery.

The Government seems not to realise the scale of the funding crisis in our university sector. Eight of the 18 publicly funded higher education institutions were in the red last year. Unfortunately, one of those was from my city of Limerick. The University of Limerick was on that list. I am proud to come from a university city. We are exceptionally fortunate when you consider we have the Technological University of the Shannon, where I studied, the University of Limerick, Mary Immaculate, the teacher training college, the Limerick College of Further Education, Griffith College and a wonderful arts college all on our doorstep. These institutions contribute greatly to Limerick as do the thousands of students who study there and those who work in these institutions.

However, access to further education for some is still a massive challenge. A student contribution of €3,000 is way too high. We urgently need to move to a free fees scheme. We have an 11% drop out rate and this has been constant for a several years. It is reflective of the high costs associated with going to third level. Education is the gateway to success. Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Access to Apprenticeship awards at TUS in Limerick. Many of those achieving the awards were the first in their families to ever attend third level. That achievement cannot be underestimated. Those getting their awards had completed their access course and because of their hard work were faced with the opportunity to continue their education work. One of the young graduates spoke bravely of the challenges in her life and her background, which made the idea of attending a graduation ceremony a most unlikely dream, but she did it and spoke of her next steps.

If we can do anything, we need to support access to apprenticeship schemes in university, in TUS in Limerick and roll it out across the State.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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I was the first person in my family to go to university and this is something I am incredibly proud of. Being able to access third level education had a transformative impact on my life. I am the living proof of the impact third level education can have. The transformative potential of third level education should be available to every single person. Every young person should have the chance I had. However, students in my constituency of Dublin Fingal West are stuck in their parents' back bedrooms. They cannot move out. They cannot afford to rent in Dublin city or anywhere else in the State they might get a place to study. There are no third level institutions in my constituency. Students have to commute long distances. For example, if you live in Balbriggan, it will take you up to two hours to get to UCD each way. That is four hours per day, and exactly as the Minister referenced that means you cannot fully participate in student life, and you spend all of your time absolutely exhausted. Fingal County Council has identified skills shortages in the areas of agrifood, digitisation, life sciences, logistics and fintech but Dublin Fingal West, one of the youngest constituencies in the State, does not have a third level institution. I would appreciate if the Minister, in his concluding remarks, would address this fact. The students in my constituency are the victims of the Government's housing crisis. They are now the victims of its increased fares, so not only do they have to commute long distances, which absolutely wrecks them, they also have to pay more for the privilege. This is something that should be addressed.

I will say a few words about Kay, the supercomputer, which was decommissioned by the Minister's party when in government in 2023. This piece of infrastructure is essential if we are serious about research and development. If you talk to people in the research, development and innovation space, they will tell you exactly that. Is the strategy the Minister referred to in his remarks is intended to augment or replace access to a supercomputer? Having to go abroad for it is not ideal, as I am sure he appreciates. Are we to expect a replacement for Kay, or is there something else in the pipeline? He might clarify that.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We are in an unstable world, whether we are talking about tariffs or the impact of AI will have that includes many positives that will need to be utilised, although we also know there are dangers in the short term for employment in specific spheres. On that basis we need to make sure we have our act together. I refer to the Regional Development Centre that operates out of DkIT in Dundalk. We need support for these operations that carry out the necessary research in the college setting and combine that with a company and business focus. There have been real wins from the point of view of medtech, sports science and others. These are the sorts of things we need to see. I recently mentioned the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence. Again, this is the LMETB to the fore, answering the questions industry has. I refer to the robotics apprenticeship, and I agree we need to have multiple pathways. A piece of work needs to be done by the Minister to make sure that is put into play. I make a call about the college of the future required in Dundalk.

Beyond that, while there are many things we have spoken about, I bring up the issue of those with disability in a college setting, particularly those PAs who do work in the ETBs. I am talking about O'Fiach, DIFE and beyond. They have requested a meeting with the Minister and that must be followed through. There are issues in regard to the WRC, which was awaiting the review by the Minister's Department of PAs for those with disabilities.

Obviously, it is about ensuring that they have a contract that works for them and also that we provide the service for those with disabilities and that we maintain them within the further and higher education setting.

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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I welcome the opportunity to discuss the power of higher education, research and skills as economic enablers. My predecessor, former Deputy Seán Sherlock, was a champion of research and skills when he served as a Minister of State.

It is often said that education is a great leveller, meaning that further education qualifications can enable those with the least in our society to make good careers and comfortable lives for themselves and that they can overcome social and economic disadvantage. I am a believer in this theory. However, I do not believe our current education system provides that option for a broad enough base. Education cannot enable economic prosperity if costs prevent many from entering further or higher education. I refer here not only registration costs or course fees but also to living costs in a country where everything is becoming more expensive.

National school and secondary school are supposed to be free to all children. However, parents are paying significant amounts for school materials, uniforms and trips and on voluntary contributions. These costs put unnecessary economic barriers in the way of many students and their families. The costs only increase as students progress through their education and move towards obtaining qualifications. College fees constitute another barrier. College accommodation and remuneration obtained on foot of part-time work and from apprenticeships are also barriers. These are all economic barriers that people have to overcome in order to access the great leveller.

When it comes to student housing, funding for the technological university sector needs to be unlocked. This sector needs to be allowed to borrow money to either purchase or arrange for the construction of purpose-built student accommodation. It is important that the types of housing available in our university cities, including my city of Cork, are diverse. Students need to live within a reasonable distance of their third level institutions. It is a failure of housing planning if students are competing in the rental market with couples, families and single people who work in our cities and towns. This is the reality in Ireland. Everyone is competing in the same rental market, with piecemeal options for students. Many of these necessary education-related elements are available for free or at least at a cost that is much more affordable across Europe. This should be our goal for the sector here too.

We heard many statements last week celebrating the prosperity that European Union membership has brought Ireland. I suggest that when it comes to further and higher education, we need much more alignment with how those sectors are being run by our EU neighbours in order that we might continue to grow prosperity here. If we compare ourselves with Finland, where third level education tuition is free and the average age that young adults move out of the family home is 21, we can see that have a hell of a long way to go.

It is often stated that third level education is not everything, that we should not get so obsessed about it and that we should get rid of some of the stigmas attached to other forms of further and higher education. I agree wholeheartedly, but if the Minister speaks to any apprentice across the country, he will find that going down this route to qualification is not free of its own economic barriers. Scrapping the fees would certainly be welcome, as would ensuring that apprentices have a living wage, because we need to keep people in apprenticeships and in the sector. For a start, it is my belief that a minimum wage should not be undercut by anything. Under-18s who are legally eligible to work should be at least paid the minimum wage. An apprentice learning his or her trade should be paid at least the minimum wage. The core principle of a minimum wage is that no one can be paid less than the rate. That should be the case. How can an apprentice run a car, pay rent and bills or have any disposable income when he or she is being paid below minimum wage? All these factors contribute to adults living with their parents well into their thirties. Their contribution to their local economies and personal prosperity is significantly hampered as a result. These are the reasons so many look to other avenues, particularly overseas.

Apprenticeships in the public sector must be varied and diverse. If the State and local authorities are not a driver behind this, then we are once again passing the buck to a private sector that has no obligations in the context of either wider society or creating a diverse workforce. I see this when someone who is more than likely living in council accommodation contacts my office because they are looking for a plumber or carpenter to come to their home. They are often have to wait weeks for the work to be completed because local authorities simply do not have the workers.

Community-based vocational education, training and adult education courses are vital parts of our education system for securing a well-skilled workforce and providing new opportunities for people when other routes are not accessible or appropriate. The further education and training sector provides valuable and distinctive pathways for school leavers, workers seeking to upskill, lifelong learners, those marginalised and looking to re-engage in education and local employers, community groups and schemes.

I welcome the fact that the SUSI grant system is made available to more people each year. We need to continue progress in that regard. The Minister will agree with me on that. The system needs significant reform to reflect the lived reality of students by recognising estranged students, those in international protection and part-time students.

When we look at international students in further and higher education, we can see the significant contribution they make to our economy and society. Universities across Ireland are conducting vital research through the hard work and dedication of international students, yet those students face barriers. Registration fees for international students must be looked at in view of the fact that they already have to pay considerable amounts to get places in our universities. They then face the same housing and cost-of-living barriers as domestic students. Also in this regard, we must extend the duration of visas for international students for the length of their course programmes rather than obliging them to renew those visas annually. The requirement to do so puts students under unnecessary pressure. It also means more administrative work for college admissions staff. It is pure common sense. If a course is going to last four or five years, a student must be given a visa that will last for that period rather than one that has to be renewed each year. One person who contacted me stated that he was only given a visa for eight months even though he has another two years to go on his apprenticeship.

I commend the contribution of Youth Work Ireland and youth groups across the country. The services and courses they provide are a vital facet in ensuring that those furthest from mainstream education have the opportunity to upskill and contribute to our economy. Further and higher education is indeed an economic enabler for our economy. It must be accessible, affordable and a right for any person who desires it for it to be an economic enabler for them. It cannot be an enabler unless the social and economic barriers to further and higher education that are in place are removed.

George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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As the Minister knows, higher education holds immense significance for the future of this island. The power of higher education as an economic enabler, particularly in our regions, is a vital component to our economies locally and nationally. As we navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing global economy, it is essential that we recognise the pivotal role higher education plays in driving innovation, developing entrepreneurship and, ultimately, enhancing economic resilience across Ireland.

Higher education institutions are not merely centres of learning; they are engines of growth. They equip our workforce with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. This is especially vital for our regions, where access to quality education can bridge the gap between urban and rural economies. By investing in further and higher education, we are investing in our people and their potential to contribute meaningfully to society.

In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of regional universities and colleges as catalysts for local development. These institutions have the unique ability to tailor their programmes to meet the specific needs of their communities, building workforces that are not only skilled but also locally routed. By aligning educational offerings with regional economic priorities, we can stimulate job creation, attract investment and drive sustainable growth. We can also allow these new regional universities to tailor their courses to meet the needs of developing industries locally.

The long-sought and long-awaited Wexford campus of the South East Technological University, SETU, was established on 1 May 2022. This is a hugely welcome strategic facility for the entire south-east region. In 2015, money was made available to secure a site for the new Wexford campus to replace the current campus located at the former St. Peter's College Seminary. In 2023, Wexford County Council took the unprecedented step of beginning a compulsory purchase order to secure land for this new campus. This move, having been approved by An Bord Pleanála, is now the subject a judicial review taken by the landowner. Despite that, every measure must be taken to ensure that the creation of this new campus is ready to hit the ground running once all the hurdles have been negotiated.

This is absolutely essential for the students of County Wexford and their families. The county with the highest population in the region must no longer be left hanging on when it comes to the provision of opportunity for students. As a man born in County Wexford, the Minister, I know, has a keen interest in this project. As already stated, these higher education facilities are playing and will play a pivotal role in driving economies across the country. We must ensure the opportunity exists everywhere on this island for future entrepreneurs to thrive and develop.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the opportunity to discuss the transformative effect further and higher education can have. Having worked as a lecturer for many years in what is now Technological University Dublin, which the Minister visited last week, I have seen at first hand how education, particularly third level education, can open up opportunities for everyone. However, I must express my dissatisfaction with the fact that in scheduling this debate, its title does not refer to further education. Fine Gael's two previous Ministers in this Department, Simon Harris and Patrick O'Donovan, recognised the importance of that sector and the need to ensure it is not again neglected. Will the Minister, Deputy Lawless, ensure that he and his Department continue to prioritise the apprenticeship sector and do not allow to return the narrow approach to third level education that Deputies Harris and O'Donovan worked so hard to break down?

Many of those who speak for the third level sector have long proven the benefits that further and higher education can bring. However, although progress has been made and a variety of supports are in place to help students, there are still barriers. Having been appointed Fine Gael spokesperson for further and higher education, I visited schools and spoke to principals in my constituency of Dublin Rathdown last week. I wanted to find out what challenges students face in their transition to third level. The number one barrier they raised was the leaving certificate points race. It has been said many times in this Chamber that we need reform of the leaving certificate examination. The advisory report on the review of senior cycle states that "some of the negative impact of the current assessment reporting arrangements could be mitigated by... reviewing the existing CAO points system". The Department of Education and Youth has embarked on a senior cycle redevelopment programme, which I welcome. I also welcome the work the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has been doing in this field in recent months.

The advisory report also notes that redeveloping senior cycle will require the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, to "collaborate with relevant organisations and structures to ensure coherence across stages of education and to support lifelong learning". That hits the nail on the head. The third level sector cannot continue to look at the leaving certificate as a problem for the second level sector. I want to see third level institutions, with the Minister's encouragement, looking at how they can assist in making the transition from second to third level more navigable. There are some courses in universities that allow for supplementary work, with students being able to submit essays or portfolios to demonstrate their ability in their chosen field. Such approaches must be further extended. As a lecturer, I saw new students enrol in my classes having achieved the required number of points in the leaving certificate. They were excited and enthusiastic in starting a new chapter in their lives. After a few weeks, however, some discovered they had no affinity with the course content, with a few dropping out after several months. This happens because the leaving certificate is not an accurate representation of students' aptitudes. Those working in the third level sector recognise this but they lack the tools to help incoming students to make better choices. Will the Minister support third level institutions in devising methods that encourage students to demonstrate their interest in and affinity with the course content? This will not only reduce stress in the long term for students but also for their parents.

In its current format, the leaving certificate does little to encourage or engage students who have an aptitude for or wish to seek apprenticeships. This should not be the case. Second level education should supplement and assist entry to third level, whether colleges or apprenticeships, and not stand as a placeholder. We must expand and simplify pathways to apprenticeships as the skills required for apprenticeships are equally important to other skills in supporting a dynamic economy. Many young people are keen to play their part to address climate change. We can give them a path to that by developing apprenticeship courses in the green skills that are essential to support the growth of our renewable sector, especially offshore wind and solar. This will enable Ireland's transition to a green economy. Leaving certificate reform can enable access to third level. It is important that the Minister remembers that the Government's main obligation is to our students and young people. They rely on our third level education sector to define their future. We must keep doing everything we can to ensure we do not neglect to invest in that future.

I note today's announcement that the Minister is to bring a memorandum to the Cabinet on the creation of a global talent initiative to attract researchers and academics from the US. I applaud him for seizing this opportunity. I particularly welcome the focus on the fields in which we actively need to build up Ireland's research base. However, it is incredibly important that in facilitating this initiative, the Government also reviews the conditions of junior academic staff across the third level sector, who face pay issues, insecure employment, temporary contracts and hours of unpaid work outside of teaching hours. We do not want to find ourselves in a situation whereby in our eagerness to welcome these brilliant academics from abroad, we end up alienating and taking for granted the hundreds of researchers, academics and lecturers we already have across our island. We will not attract skilled researchers from abroad without competitive packages but, at the same time, we could well risk losing our homegrown researchers due to oversight and the mounting difficulties they face. Currently, the starting salary for an assistant lecturer is €46,000 a year. That might sound fine at face value but it comes after years of unpaid work as a PhD student and possibly doing post-doctoral work as well. It also does not take into account the precarity most new lecturers face. Lecturers on an hourly rate are paid on a per semester and per module basis, with no guarantee of future work. I know a number of lecturers who are forced to work across several third level institutions. They are all dedicated to their work but they are not doing this for the love of the job. They are doing it because it is the only way to get by. Will the Minister ensure that under this great new initiative, our homegrown talent are respected and retained and not neglected?

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Like previous speakers, I welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate. I echo the sentiment expressed so well by the speaker before me in complimenting the Minister on seizing the opportunity that has been afforded to the country to attract new talent and new research opportunities in the third level sector through the global talent initiative. In early monastic times, Ireland was known as the island of saints and scholars. I am not sure we can still own the saints tag but this welcome initiative certainly will help us to regain the scholars tag. I also welcome the Minister's undertaking, which he mentioned earlier in the debate, on a new initiative to replicate the original programme for research in third level institutions. That will be very welcome. All of this highlights the Government's commitment to using research as a fundamental bedrock for future economic development.

I am from a city that fortunately has an abundance of third level institutions. They include the University of Galway, previously known as NUI Galway and, before that, UCG, Atlantic Technological University, ATU, and a growing number of institutions advertising and promoting the opportunity for students to take part in post-leaving certificate courses. The Minister is to visit Galway this week. One of the functions he will perform there is laying the foundation sod for the new library at the University of Galway, which is a very welcome development. There are other ongoing opportunities at the university, including the really exciting new graduate programme in medicine.

I take the opportunity to stress again a point I have made previously to the Minister, which is that there is a greater demand for primary school teachers in the system at the moment. The Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, maintains there might be a shortfall in the region of 2,000. We are going to see continued expansion in the area of special education and special classes. The University of Galway is well placed to offer the opportunity for graduates to undertake a postgraduate qualification in primary school teaching. I ask the Minister to give that some consideration.

There has been a substantial increase in recent years in the number of students attending ATU. We have seen the evolution of the institution from regional technical college to institute of technology to technological university, now with sister colleges in Castlebar, Sligo and Letterkenny. It is a fundamental part of Galway city and, in those terms, it certainly could be described as an economic enabler. Many of the people who come to Galway to study at the third level institutions go on to live in the city afterwards. The foundations of many of the major employment centres in Galway can be traced back to the city's universities and the qualifications people gained there.

When I saw the title of the debate, I wondered whether the focus would be on third level education as an economic enabler for individuals or for wider society. There is a challenge in this regard and many speakers have done well in outlining the barriers to education. The Minister is committed to breaking down many of those barriers. He mentioned fees and targeted measures to broaden the pathway to participation in further education. I have a slight concern in that I do not see the barriers presenting themselves only at the end of second level. If children develop an indifferent attitude to school attendance at primary or secondary level, it is very unlikely that at the end of their time in secondary school, they will have a dawning realisation that there is an opportunity for them in the third level sector.

We always need to be conscious of that. We need to fund our primary and secondary schools adequately so that children are well in school and enjoy coming to school and there is good co-operation between the school and the home when it comes to developing positive attitudes to education from the youngest age. That is one of the fundamental barriers to participation in third level.

A slight concern has to do with the title of this debate, which refers to higher education as an economic enabler. I am concerned that, at times, we reduce education to just being a tool for our economy. It should be much more than that. Education should be about enabling and creating many other values in our society, such as empathy and community, with creativity being particularly important. Galway is a place that marks itself for that.

I wish the Minister well in his role and compliment him on his efforts to date.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with Deputy John Connolly. We always need to keep education in its broadest sense in mind. Fundamentally, it is about ensuring people can reach their full potential regardless of the area. Notwithstanding that, it remains a strategic consideration for any Government, particularly in the current context. Regarding Ireland's competitiveness, it is crucial that we ensure that Ireland continues to be seen as a place with a high-quality, skilled workforce in terms of graduates, apprenticeships and across the board.

My engagements with people in the third level sector have primarily been with those in UCC and MTU. There is a feeling that the days of being able to do more with less are gone. If there was space to stretch the budget, it has now reached the point at which things are very definitely going to suffer in terms of the quality of education and the ability to attract students. It is at a tipping point. If it ever was possible to do more with less, that is certainly gone. The funding deficits are significant barriers on the capital side of things - the fabric of some of buildings and how lots of these places that are very old and obsolete - and, in certain respects, on the student experience.

It is incredible to call it a free fees scheme when it costs €3,000. I said last week in respect of another issue that it seemed incredible how Government parties had been able to get away with throwing around very expensive commitments on fees, the means test for carer's allowance and issues like the occupied territories Bill during the election only for them to be completely forgotten about afterwards.

I will flag some of my hobby horses with the new Minister in the time I have left. One of the biggest obstacles in some of the most in-demand apprenticeship courses, such as electricians and instrumentation, is being able to find instructors. Competing with the private sector is very challenging for ETBs and the technological universities that provide those courses. It is a significant challenge and needs to be looked at with industry. There also needs to be a discussion with small tradespersons. I know we are talking apprenticeships and trades in the broadest sense, but the traditional craft trades are important. It is difficult for small tradespeople to take on apprentices - certainly, they perceive it to be difficult - for a number of reasons, one of which is the block release and the fact that people feel they lose this person who has been working with them for five or six weeks at a time.. Whatever the solutions are, there needs to be a direct dialogue with small tradespeople in some mechanism.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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I wish the Minister the very best of luck. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to today’s debate on the power of higher education, research and skills as economic enablers in a changing world. I echo what previous speakers have said about dropping further education. It is such a valuable part of that Department and I have seen at first hand how further education has changed lives in the communities in which I have lived and worked for a number of years.

Yesterday, the Minister delivered his keynote speech at the Irish Universities Association's Future of Ireland seminar. He presented a vision that was ambitious and encouraging, where Ireland led on innovation, skills and research in a volatile global landscape, but can we see concrete plans for how this will happen in a sector that has struggled for a number of years? The Minister spoke about AI, semiconductors and life sciences and rightly highlighted the ground-breaking work happening in our universities, such as Professor Conor Ryan’s AI-designed silicon chip at UL, which is an excellent example of the wonderful work that takes place in our universities. The Minister referenced Funding the Future but there is a €307 million annual shortfall in core higher education funding. That gap is not new and was not a surprise to the Minister upon assuming his new role but is something we need to get on top of. It has a trickle-down effect on every single thing that happens in our universities. I look forward to seeing how the Minister will tackle that.

Regarding the disconnect between ambition and implementation when we talk about students, the Minister spoke very passionately about the future talent pipelines. Having worked in the school completion programme and the bachelor of education course in DCU, I can say that a significant amount of pressure is being placed on students. I will speak about those students I lectured on the bachelor of education course. They worked very long hours on the course, travelled home, worked at the weekend and tried to complete the volume of work they needed to do. Anybody here who has worked in third level education will know that there is a significant amount of work that needs to be done but because of the student contribution and the high cost of accommodation, students have no other option than to work at the weekend.

I have been contacted by a number of people about the hidden costs that are not covered when they are on placements. I would love to see how this can be resolved for those students. I am talking about student teachers and student nurses. One student explained her difficult situation to me. We hear repeatedly about students having to buy things. This is the hidden cost of university. Having worked with young people from a disadvantaged background, I know it is not that they are unable to get there because of points, which is a whole other issue. It is that, when they are there, those costs are preventative. These students do not have anyone from whom they can get that money.

I welcome the Minister’s intent to revive the programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI. This was last looked at over a decade ago. It is about funding; nearly everything is. I welcome making Ireland a destination for global researchers and talent. Education here is excellent but we are losing PhD students and other students to other countries because they are cannot afford to stay here. The cost of university here is significantly higher than in a number of other European countries. There are students who will take a course in another language in another country and we will lose them. They will leave for their undergraduate education and it will continue for postgraduate education.

Like others, I am a bit concerned about the notion of education as an economic enabler. I echo what Deputy Connolly said. Education does concern the economy, but education is about learning. It is about critical and creative thinking and ensuring we live in a society where there is empathy and where we can build social cohesion around what we want to see in our society. I remind the Minister that the focus on economic enablers is one aspect but there are many others. I do not want to lecture him but I want to put it on record that there are other reasons for education.

I acknowledge the Minister's optimism and I welcome his ambition. Again, I will talk about funding. We need to broaden access to third level education. Last week, we spoke about course for occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. I would love to see that for September. I would love to discuss the CAO system and how we are putting so much pressure on our leaving certificate students to get into third level. Could there be more spaces so that pressure is taken off at that level because enjoyment of learning in the leaving certificate is dying a death, given how there is so much pressure?

We need proper contracts for staff in universities. Precarious contracts are not acceptable to any worker and they are certainly not acceptable in any institution where we are trying to educate future generations, so I would love to see an end to that and the Minister's vision of how that would work.

We need funding for third level to ensure we make our system the best that we can.

I wish the Minister the best of luck and look forward to working with him.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister for his statement on the power of higher education, research and skills as economic enablers. This is a noble and important subject for us to consider. I will briefly recall an era when higher education was much better set up to develop the whole person who was passing through this important, exciting and memorable stage of his or her life. I first went to college in 1997. Third level fees had recently been abolished, opening up university and college life to many more young people than was previously the case. Rents in Cork were generally affordable at the time, even if the standard of accommodation varied from the acceptable to the Dickensian. Young people across society had the capacity to enjoy a full college life, to separate from their family of origin and branch out into the world. They were living away from home for the first time and becoming immersed in the multifaceted swirl of college life. Most importantly, there was a much greater capacity to make mistakes on this part of life's journey, to repeat a year in college if you had to and get back on track thereafter. There was also more freedom to pursue a course for the love of literature, language or philosophy, as opposed to being solely focused on a career and economic achievement.

It was not a perfect time. There remained major barriers to third level education for working class young people and people from the Travelling community. Today, however, vast numbers of young people are forced by the cost of housing, in particular, to live at home and commute long distances to college. Many young people who struggle psychologically with the transition to third level are unable to sustain their courses due to the financial pressures involved in deferring or repeating exams. In many ways, young people today across society are being deprived of an enriched college experience by the extreme costs of living to which they are subject. We owe it to young people to resolve the housing crisis, which is at the core of the disparity between college life now and college life 25 or 30 years ago. We can only do that with the radical departure in housing policy that is required.

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Minister and my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on this issue. As an educator who worked as an associate professor in the area of social science in Maynooth University, I emphasise the importance of social policy and social sciences in education. I worked at Maynooth University, but there is also a university in my constituency, namely, DCU. It provides high-quality education. However, our education system is affected by inequalities, lack of access and underfunding. In particular, as was mentioned by my colleagues, there are issues of precarious contracts at third level.

This is about the power of education, and not just to create an economy. Without a functioning society, we cannot have a functioning economy. There needs to be an emphasis on, and investment in, social sciences. Those sciences provide for critical areas, including community work, social work and teaching. They also provide the ability to understand the social issues we are, and will be, affected by and bring forward solutions.

At the heart of it is bringing through students from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular. I have seen this. There is empowerment through education. In Ballymun in my constituency, for example, the average age at which a person finishes education is 19. In the 2022 census, only 30% of adults in Ballymun had an education higher than secondary. That number shrank to 16% when considering third level qualifications. We need a commitment to resourcing higher education overall, but particularly schemes such as the higher education access route, HEAR, and the disability access route to education, DARE, which provide access for those with disabilities and those suffering from disadvantage.

As the Minister has said, we see across the world, and particularly in the US, an attack on universities and academics. It is important for us to assert our support for the third level sector and universities and to allow for funding and critical engagement, particularly in the social sciences. We need solutions to the issues of housing, inequality and poverty. We must provide the support services our society needs to ensure we have a functioning and sustainable economy.

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Minister is coming to visit Galway this week. I assure him he will be most welcome.

Over the past three years, the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB, has grown significantly. In 2022, there were 17,000 beneficiaries. In 2023, there were 20,000 beneficiaries. In 2024, there were 24,000 beneficiaries. This shows the level of growth in the demand for services and educational investment, which must be matched by investment in facilities and infrastructure.

Across our 40 centres, we need fit-for-purpose buildings that reflect the quality and ambition of our services. Without them, we limit access and the potential for learners across our region. A business case for a further education and training, FET, college was submitted in January this year. The proposed flagship campus in Galway will deliver a full college experience, enabling the expansion of programmes and apprenticeships that current facilities simply cannot accommodate.

In my constituency of Galway East, FET is delivered in Headford, Tuam, Dunmore, Athenry, Loughrea, Gort and Portumna. Some of the buildings in those institutions are outdated and unsuitable for education. Some use prefabs that are 20-odd years old or repurposed structures that are no longer fit for modern needs. In 2024 alone, over 4,700 learners accessed those FET locations, yet we continue to expect students to learn in these facilities long past their functional use. GRETB is doing all it can to maintain these spaces but the capital investment available falls far short of what is required. That is unacceptable for learners, communities and the future of FET.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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If it is agreeable, I will be sharing time with Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere. There may have been a mix-up in respect of the time.

I wish the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, well. I yesterday had the privilege of sitting in on the event organised by the Irish Universities Association at which the Minister set out his priorities for the higher education sector. I welcome his commitment to addressing the core funding issue, which is critical. I look forward to the necessary implementation of the commitments regarding the National Training Fund to ensure that our higher education sector is properly funded.

The Minister made clear his commitment to investing in research and innovation. I support the concept of Ireland becoming a global centre of excellence and attracting some of the world's top researchers. If there is a research prioritisation exercise to be conducted by Taighde Éireann, I ask that we include blue-sky research and do not solely focus on applied research. The Minister has indicated his desire for Ireland to take its place among the nations of the world in respect of research. He also spoke about finally signing the accord with CERN, which is welcome. The moves in that direction are positive.

It is critical that we address the issue of professorships at the technological universities in order to ensure the research base within that sector.

I strongly agree with many of my colleagues that one of the priorities must be around accessibility. This is an important issue and one that many people have discussed. Without the support of SUSI grants or higher education grants, many of us would not have had the opportunity to go on to higher education. The budget this year must prioritise increasing the thresholds at which students qualify for SUSI grants and the amounts of money payable under those grants. It is critical that we ensure as many people as possible have pathways into further and higher education as they move through the post-leaving certificate, PLC, sector. If somebody wants to proceed to higher education, we must make it as easy as possible.

In respect of reform of SUSI grants, we must consider more options for second chances. If somebody who got a SUSI grant suddenly discovered that the course was not for him or her, that person should be allowed a second chance at getting funding.

It is also critical that we look to make the Erasmus programme far more accessible. It should be open to every student and not just those from a better-off background. I am not saying that is the case, but there are many costs associated with the Erasmus programme and I would like, as part of our European commitment, a lot more engagement on that issue.

We are experiencing rapid technological change. This will be crucial to the work the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is doing, but it will not only apply to apprenticeships. We also must consider reskilling and upskilling, particularly because of technological change, right across society.

We will be considering this in the Oireachtas committee on artificial intelligence but we need to look at integrating artificial intelligence and other tools into our further and higher education courses. We also need a debate around academic integrity when it comes to using AI.

When the Minister, Deputy Lawless, spoke to the Irish Universities Association yesterday, he said a priority of higher and further education should be to promote curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. It is critical those in the sector engage in public debate. The academy is not about what happens in our universities and our higher and further institutions; it is about a wider debate within society. Facilitating that debate is critical. The Royal Irish Academy has done a very good job in that regard but I would challenge our universities and further and higher education providers to engage much more in the community and talk about the importance of the sector.

If we are to become a global centre for research and attract the world's top researchers, it is critical we address the question of basic research equipment. It is unacceptable that half of the research equipment in our universities is over ten years old and one third is over 15 years old. If we are to achieve that research goal, it is essential we address that. I thank both Ministers for their input and wish them well in addressing the challenges.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity for statements on the importance of higher education. I am a huge advocate of lifelong learning. A cornerstone of Ireland's economic success has been our highly skilled and talented workforce. Since we embraced FDI and enabled access to second level education for all, knowledge and talent have been the pillars of our economic strategy and have served this country very well. Ongoing investment in further and higher education is core to our ambition to deliver sustainable economic growth. The Government has to ensure investment offers opportunity to every person in this State, while remaining agile enough to address key skills challenges faced by our country and embrace new and emerging technologies and work practices.

I was a member of Kilkenny-Carlow ETB for over ten years, seven of which I was fortunate enough to spend as chairperson. It was confirmed with huge excitement recently that a new state-of-the-art flagship education and training campus in Kilkenny was finally going to become a reality after it was announced a site had been purchased for the new college. It is important to note that delivery of this project for the region has been the ambition of the executive team and board, and a personal ambition of mine, for a number of years. A site was purchased on the outskirts of Kilkenny city which will cater for up to 5,000 students. This, together with the decision to proceed the project to the design and planning stage, marks the next step in delivering a new third level college campus in Kilkenny city. Government funding to the tune of tens of millions of euro will be required to drive the development of the site and create a new state-of-the-art education and training campus for Kilkenny-Carlow ETB. The purchase of the 15-acre site has been signed but we need urgency to see this become a campus that will deliver so much for the learners, staff and community of Kilkenny-Carlow ETB.

At the moment, further education and training provision in Kilkenny is scattered around 15 locations in the city but we need FET to be brought together in one modern high-spec facility where learners will have the opportunity to progress in the best possible facilities. This proposed new integrated FET college has been a key strategic priority for KCETB and will transform the learning opportunities available in our communities. It will provide for the future skill needs of local industries and create a talent pipeline of graduates available to live and work in Kilkenny. Kilkenny needs this new campus. It will provide a growing range of specialist courses and apprenticeships which will have long-lasting benefits for Kilkenny, Carlow and the south-east region. I am looking for the Minister of State and the Government to support and fast-track this development to ensure Kilkenny gets its FET campus as soon as possible.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. I commend the work of Dunboyne College of Further Education and the Youthreaches in County Meath. I am familiar with a number of them, including in Kells and Ashbourne. Along with Deputy Mary Lou McDonald and Councillor Maria White, I visited Laytown-Bettystown Youthreach last Friday and saw the really important work it does to provide alternative pathways into third level, apprenticeships, research and innovation. I commend the work of the principal of Dunboyne College of Further Education, Denis Leonard, who is soon to retire. I am sure he would echo my words that we need the new building there to be delivered as quickly as possible. They do tremendous work.

It is important to highlight the vital role of youth work in equipping young people with essential transversal skills. The skills summary project is an innovative tool that recognises youth work as an educational process. The project supports many young people, most notably those who are furthest from mainstream education. It promotes inclusion and readiness for work and is already being used across youth services, employability projects and volunteering organisations, offering a scalable youth-focused way to make transversal skills visible and valued, filling the gap between youth work and economic opportunity. It is an excellent project.

I want to take a step further back in the pipeline towards senior cycle reform, particularly of science subjects. I recently met with the Irish Science Teachers' Association. I know the Minister has met with the teaching unions and there are proposals under consideration. When I met with representatives of the Irish Science Teachers' Association, they raised serious concerns about reform of the senior cycle and leaving certificate, particularly in relation to funding of science laboratories and of science in schools generally. There is a need for a significant increase in funding for our science laboratories. There is a concern the current approach will heap advantage on advantage and disadvantage on disadvantage. That needs to be addressed. I urge caution on the Minister and ask for further engagement with our science teachers. If we want the pipeline of strong graduates to continue, we need to invest in secondary as well.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this topic. The last occasion I spoke on it was, I think, February 2022 in relation to the Higher Education Authority Bill. I had a lot of time then to discuss where we were going with third level education.

I welcome the Minister's speech and the priorities it set out. However, I have a huge problem with the title, "Power of Higher Education, Research and Skills as an Economic Enabler in a Changing World". That is certainly a factor but I would not have it as the title of a speech I would give on the importance of third level education in enabling our people to develop their full potential in whatever sphere they go into. That will drive the economy rather than the other way round. This shows a narrow focus on the economy. I am from Galway and I want a thriving city and recognise the importance of industry. However, there must be a better and more enabling vision if we are to really make words mean something. We declared a climate emergency. I think it was 2019 - that long ago. We have supposedly learned from Covid and we have supposedly learned the ongoing consumption model - the neoliberal model - is endangering our planet. Within that, third level must be looked at in a completely different way.

I welcome that the Minister set out four things but he has put research as an economic enabler at number one. High-quality, accessible higher education is second - absolutely. If I have a chance I will come back to access because that is a huge problem in terms of cost and accommodation and the Minister acknowledges that further on. The third is expanding pathways to skills and apprenticeships. That is wonderful in theory, and I will come back to its operation on the ground. Then there is "to promote curiosity [that is certainly very weak] and the pursuit of knowledge as a public good." I suppose we are getting there a little with that language but I would like to see education for education's sake within third level institutions. That ultimately will benefit society by making us critical thinkers.

If we have learned anything from the banking inquiry, it is that we need critical thinkers. The last thing we need is a consensus mentality. We see that in relation to Europe and the inability to call out genocide in Gaza, and I am just picking one area of the world. A consensus mentality is what Nyberg said was behind the financial crisis in Ireland. Nobody spoke out. Nobody stood out from the crowd or said that this was wrong.

I am very worried that this consensus mentality is being enshrined in our third level institutions. Maybe I am a little too cynical but I remember my time on the Committee of Public Accounts, and the seven presidents coming before us - the magnificent seven, as I called them. They happened to all be men. They did not inspire me with what I would have expected. I understand that things have changed slightly and, in Galway, we got a new president who sorted out the gender inequality cases. We remember the Sheehy Skeffington book and the three conditions. The new president sorted that out. Unfortunately, he left early and is gone.

I will not spend any more time on that. Nonetheless, as a society, we need to discuss what our universities are there for. We need to bridge the gap that exists between town and gown, as it was called in Galway, so the universities are open to everybody. As the House knows, I come from a large family in Galway. We had the benefit of having the university beside us and we also had the benefit of a whole range of skills in our house as it was a large family. I have seen it from every point of view.

With regard to Galway city, which was mentioned by a previous speaker from east Galway, the new campus in Galway is a matter of disappointment to me. First, it is a fantastic concept that we need an adult campus in Galway and it should have been done years ago. The Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB, has the land and there is no obstacle whatsoever. It has the vision and it came forward with that vision. The Government, notwithstanding its sweet words about apprenticeships and so on, told the GRETB to go back and submit another plan, reducing it to 10,000 sq. m and reducing the whole vision. Apprenticeships went into the second phase, although they should be top of the list. This was due to the fact that those involved had to restrict their vision. Under Government direction, apprenticeships have gone into phase 2 and God knows when that will be. It is similar with the Irish language despite the possibilities and obligations under Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla to upskill everyone, but particularly public and civil servants and all of our services. That has now gone into phase 2.

With regard to the technological universities, I was at ATU in Castlebar and I have been in Galway. There are wonderful students coming forward with a questioning mind. If I were to employ somebody in the morning, it would not be on the basis of their CV or somebody telling me how great they are. It would be on their ability to say, “I do not know that but I am willing to learn, and I have an open mind.” That is what I would put a premium and a value on, even in my own work in my office here: somebody who has the courage to say, “I do not know but I am willing to learn.”

I do not know if the Minister of State has information on the vacancy in Galway. The previous president has been gone for almost a year and there is no new president. In the debate on the last occasion, when we employed the new president, it was said that the Irish language was a limiting factor and we could not have a condition that the president would have Irish because that would limit the availability of the talent. The irony is that when we got the new president, he was a fluent Irish speaker, although it went against everything that had been said. The Minister of State might have an update on that. If she has any influence with regard to adult education at the campus in Galway, I would appreciate her using that. I know she comes from a background of teaching. It makes absolute sense to go with a full vision. The number of buildings being rented by the GRETB in Galway is shocking but it is trying to provide a service at every level.

The vulnerability of the third level education sector in general was brought into acute focus with Trump’s recent announcements about third level education. We realise how vulnerable something that we take for granted is. We then have the Government announcement that it is going to look at paying higher salaries to attract leading academics. While I might welcome that on one level, maybe we could look at the talent within our own universities that we are wasting because people are on precarious hours, have no security and cannot shine. We will go forward and pay enormous salaries, and the Government will pay up to half the salary, yet we do not see the irony that our PhD students and master’s students are struggling because of insecurity and having no contracts.

I have a concern about the universities not speaking out on issues they should speak out on and about the need to create an atmosphere where questions are allowed without being seen as disloyal. I see there is a commitment to look at funding, which is a huge problem for the universities. They are forced into other roles, such as the private foundation role. I have seen this in Galway, where the foundation determined which buildings went up on the campus. Clearly, they were not student accommodation. The problem of student accommodation was thrown out onto the town and still is a major problem because it is all based on profit. The sites are being picked in unsuitable areas because there is no overall thinking that student accommodation, by and large, should be on campuses. Galway was an example where the foundation included members from Goldman Sachs and Coca-Cola. That foundation is still there, determining the agenda in the college, as opposed to providing student accommodation and education for education's sake.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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In a world being reshaped by technology, climate change and shifting geopolitics, one truth remains constant: knowledge drives prosperity. In this rapidly changing landscape, higher education, research and skills are not luxuries. They are economic necessities. Ireland's competitive edge will not come from natural resources or low costs; it will come from talent and from the people we educate, the research we fund and the skills we foster. Every lecture hall, every lab and every apprenticeship is an investment in the future of our economy.

Research and innovation do not happen in silos. They fuel growth across every sector, from artificial intelligence to agriculture, and from clean technology to healthcare. When we support researchers, we are not just funding ideas; we are building industries. Countries that increase research and development spending consistently see long-term gains in GDP, productivity and global competitiveness.

Skills are just as vital. As industries evolve, so must our workforce. That means investing in further education, digital upskilling and lifelong learning. A flexible, skilled population is what allows a small nation to compete on a global stage. Higher education is the foundation. It attracts international talent, creates partnerships with industry and helps anchor high-value jobs here at home.

In this uncertain global climate, Ireland must be bold. The most resilient economies will be those that invest in people, knowledge and innovation. That is how we future-proof our prosperity, not by looking inward, but by committing fully to education, research and skills. We should not treat these as optional extras. They are our economic engine and in a changing world, our economic competitive advantage. Research is key. Collaboration between universities and industry must be fostered, driven and funded. PhD programmes are the fulcrum of such collaboration. A quiet but important transformation is already under way. Census 2022 showed that more than 38,000 people in Ireland held a doctorate degree, up 33% since 2016. In 2023, PhD enrolments increased by 5% compared to the previous academic year, and by 26% since 2016.

These numbers tell a story of progress but they also hint at an untapped opportunity. We need to build a culture in Ireland that sees the pursuit of research and development and a PhD as a vital path for individuals and our national economy. Today's PhD graduates are fuelling Ireland's burgeoning innovation ecosystem. They are solving real-world problems in industry, public policy, climate and health. They are building our country's future. They are exactly the kind of minds we need to compete globally.

In a world rocked by geopolitical uncertainty and economic upheaval, with US tariffs looming and the US retreat from international scientific leadership, Ireland stands at a crossroads.

As the United States turns inwards, we have the opportunity to turn outwards and upwards to become a global hub for ideas, innovation and research. This is why I welcome the announcement today by the Minister, Deputy Lawless, of the new global talent initiative. Academic researchers are increasingly bringing their skills to the heart of industry, working in the research and development departments of leading companies to drive innovation, product development and long-term strategic thinking. In fact, more than half of all full-time researchers in the EU now work in industry. Companies understand the value of this work. Take Apple, which spends more in research and development in a year than the entire UK Government. This is not a coincidence. It is recognition that investing in knowledge, creativity and experimentation pays dividends in future products, competitiveness and growth. The data backs this up. OECD research shows that a 1% increase in research and development investment is linked to a 0.13% rise in economic growth. That is a powerful return on investment.

We are entering a more fragmented global economy, with rising protectionism, trade tensions and tariffs. History shows these types of measures often lead to a decline in international competition. When competition drops so too does the incentive to innovate. This is the danger for Ireland. A fall in global competition could trigger a slowdown in research and development investment at home. We cannot let this happen. At a time when other economies may be turning inwards, Ireland must go in the opposite direction by doubling down on investment, knowledge, research and people.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome these statements on the importance of higher education. A cornerstone of Ireland's economic success has been the availability of a highly skilled and educated workforce. Since we embraced foreign direct investment and enabled access to second level education for all, knowledge and talent have been the pillars of our economic strategy. Ongoing investment in further and higher education is core to our ambition of delivering sustained economic growth. The Government must ensure that investment offers opportunity for everyone while remaining agile to address the key challenges faced by our country as well as the new and emerging technology and work practices.

Fianna Fáil has a proud tradition in education. Expanding access and excellence in further and higher education has been a core priority for our party for many years. Our continued social and economic progress relies on a skilled workforce, and we in Fianna Fáil are focused on equipping young people and those returning to education with the necessary tools and skills to achieve this. This is why in 2020 Fianna Fáil established a dedicated Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It is why we have an ambitious programme for Government.

It is a skilled and educated workforce that has allowed our economy to become the success story it is today, while still, of course, facing challenges. It is why we have been so attractive in terms of foreign direct investment. Taxation and our corporation tax were key to this, and so is the fact we are an English-speaking country. Far beyond these basic examples there is the fact we have such a skilled and educated workforce. While tariffs will obviously continue to be a challenge for our economy, it is our education and skills that will prove to be the success story in weathering the storm. Our workforce is educated for the companies that have come here and invested billions in our economy. It is continued investment and dedication to our education system and, in particular, our higher education system that will allow us to continue to be attractive to foreign direct investment for many years to come.

In my constituency third level education and higher education are very important. We have Mary Immaculate College in Thurles educating teachers. We have TUS in Thurles and in Clonmel in the south of the county, and we have the national apprenticeship centre in Archerstown in Thurles. They provide employment but they are also providing education at home where it is accessible to more and more people. Recently, I was delighted to attend the launch of the department of business and accounting in Mary Immaculate College, which continues to turn out more and more teachers for secondary education, whom we so desperately need in this country.

With regard to apprenticeship numbers, I am glad to see a renewed focus on this. It is very important. We need more and more skilled employees in our workforce if we are to build the houses we desperately need. I particularly welcome the shift in mindset we have seen in the past decade on apprenticeships in this country. I think particularly of the class of 2014, of which I was part, and the class of 2015, when there was essentially no focus or ambition to send young people into apprenticeships or skills. We are paying the price for that today. Higher education or third level education is extremely important but for those who do not have the ability or skill set, there are other options providing incredibly beneficial employment. We need to focus on equipping our young people in this country with the skills they need and the skills that suit them and their abilities.

We are seeing an historic reform of the leaving certificate, which is very important and welcome but it needs to be done right. It will bring enormous benefits. It will bring critical thinking skills and analytical skills to young people. We need to constantly move away from the rote learning model of education in this country. It is something that becomes a massive challenge for young people, particularly when they enter tertiary education. The focus must also be put back on schools and the education of young people, and getting them into the mindset that tertiary education does not have to be the be-all and end-all for how they succeed in life.

I will give the example of my own case. I am a college dropout. I did go to UCD afterwards but coming out of secondary education in the class of 2014, the entire focus and drive was on going to university. We could look at a level 6 or 7 qualification but only as a stepping stone if we could not get a level 8 qualification. We have moved away from that. We have to be able to convince young people, particularly with the pressures of the leaving certificate at present, that there are alternative routes to success and alternative routes to education, skills and employment. This will be very important, particularly in terms of challenging the stresses and strains on young people. There are other alternatives out there. I welcome that. The introduction of the Department in 2020 has been key to that and will be key in this battle.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I wish Deputies Harkin and Lawless all the best in their ministerial roles. Something that strikes me in respect of the higher education system is that the free education scheme is free in name only for many families who do not qualify for the SUSI grant. It is an arduous task to get the grant. It is a very expensive ordeal to send children to college. I have four children within five years of each other. For the past three years, we have had three of them in college together. This year, it is down to two and next year, it will be down to one. It is slowly phasing out. It costs between €10,000 and €15,000 per year per child to send them to college if you do not have the grant. For those from rural areas who have to travel and pay for accommodation, it is certainly very expensive. That needs to be examined. I welcome the commitment the Minister made in his statement to examine all of this.

One of the key things we come across is the cost of accommodation. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is very aware of the big problem we have with student accommodation in Sligo. It is a serious issue in every part of the country. Wherever a young person ends up getting a course, they end up having to pay through the nose for accommodation. It is very expensive and a big problem. One of the answers is to enable the universities to build their own accommodation and give them the right to raise loans to build their own accommodation, so they can, in the future if they need to, make a profit from that accommodation. At present, big developers and major corporations do that instead of the colleges doing it, often on college grounds. That needs to be examined and changed.

Retaining staff is another serious problem. Precarious employment is a serious issue. I am very much aware of those who work in the sector, particularly those who go into prisons and IPAS centres to educate people. The standard of employment they have is very low and they are not on a par with anyone else. That needs to be examined very closely.

My home county of Leitrim is probably the only county that does not have a third level institution. I know the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board runs courses, mainly in secondary schools. It also runs courses in rented accommodation. It wants to build a campus and have its own place in County Leitrim. We have a firm ambition in that regard. For too long, our children have had to travel to other places to be able to attain education services. This needs to happen. I appeal to the Government to examine that and speak to Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board on where funding can be found to develop this and make sure it can happen. It is an absolute priority.

It was Thomas Davis who said, "Educate that you may be free". That is freedom from poverty. It is freedom from many things. More than anything else, it is freedom to be able to have a better life for yourself in your future and your entire community. That is something we can all aspire to.

I was conscious of the emphasis on the term "economic enabler" in the Minister's contribution, but it is about more than economics. It is also about society and to have a better society and a more equal and more inclusive society, education is key as well.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Ireland is 19th on the global innovation index but we are behind similar-sized countries such as Estonia, Denmark and Finland, which is in seventh place. I asked previously what is Ireland's equivalent to Nokia. In terms of research and development, what are we doing that is Irish born and that is creating jobs on the basis of Irish initiatives rather than international companies coming here?

I welcome the Global Citizens 2030, the Impact 2030 and today's initiative. They are all very welcome. There are a lot of good points if they are implemented, and that is what we have to look at. However, there are a couple of challenges. One of these would be that we are currently facing a major shortage of places for students, especially in our major cities. In terms of attracting students here, is it to get revenue or is it to bring the best and brightest who will contribute to Ireland as an innovation hub? The jury is still out in that regard.

We also have issues regarding accessibility and affordability. I merely want to raise the point that it is not necessarily about innovation; it is about services in our country that need to be looked at.

There is a lack of grants for postgraduates. In the context of the speech and language master's programme, for example, Irish students have to spend up to €30,000. Many of them leave for England to get their master's degrees and some do not come back. We have a major shortage of speech and language therapists. That is merely one example. I have to leave it there because of the time, but I ask the Minister to have a think about it.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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I offer my congratulations to the Minister and Minister of State. I have not had the opportunity to do so in the Chamber previously.

I note a statement here to the effect that many of the skills of today did not exist yesterday and that many of the skills of tomorrow do not exist today. That is very true. It is the reality of life. When it comes to research and development, perhaps we are not as advanced as we would like to think. There has to be a bigger focus on that.

Equally, as my colleague from Tipperary stated earlier, a number of apprenticeships have been closed off to people for years. "Apprenticeship" was almost a dirty word in second level education when some young fella or young lady wanted to go off and become a plumber, an electrician, a builder or whatever. It was almost the case that they had focus on going to university or college. I say that as somebody who represents a constituency where we have UCC, MTU, Cork College of Commerce, St. John's College, Griffith College and the Tyndall Institute. I am extremely proud of that but, equally, in this city we have a company call Trade Path, which is trying to get people into apprenticeships and make them accessible.

While, in fairness, apprenticeships have moved on and been somewhat improved under this Government and that which preceded it, we have to look at apprenticeships in the catering sector. An electrician in this sector can go off and get paid by the State, but a hotel will have to pay for its catering apprentices.

Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent Ireland Party)
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I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and the Minister, Deputy Lawless, the best of luck in their positions.

What has education taught us about people who want to have a right to education? It has taught us for decades that we do not have the accommodation for people who want to go to third level, either on or off campus. We have a housing crisis but we have known this for years. I have a son who is in third level education. The biggest worry he has is that we cannot get him accommodation in Galway. I have asked all the Deputies in Galway if they can help us. They say that it would be easier for me to build a house there than it would be to get him accommodation. The same is happening in Limerick. All around the country, we are finding that people that want to go to third level education are stressed about accommodation. The transport network is not in place to make sure that they can go to and from colleges. That is because the education and transport systems do not match up. If we learn anything from this, it is that we need to make sure there is proper accommodation for students who want to go to third level.

I have been saying for the past ten years that we need to invest in apprenticeships. Equally, we need to make sure that where apprenticeships are being offered, we have the proper accommodation for the people who take them up. They have to be able travel to different counties and be involved in providing the infrastructure for the next generation of people who want to go to third level. These apprentices will eventually be able to build that infrastructure, plumb it and deal with the electrical side of things. We need to make sure that education is covered off, that we listen to the people who are the next generation of educators and that we build for the future.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I will begin by wishing Deputies Harkin and James Lawless the very best in their positions going forward. This is the first opportunity I have had to wish them well.

We have situations where there is a rural-urban divide in higher education. My concern is that Skibbereen Adult Education Centre and Kinsale Further Education College are doing an excellent job but the problem is that we sometimes do not come up with the numbers. We have a situation whereby those who are doing the health level 5 higher education course are trying to move on to level 6. The numbers are not there and they are told to go to Cork city as a result. We have a situation with someone, maybe from Ardgroom or Castletownbere, who has to travel 130 km each day. That is not feasible. Someone from Mizen Head has to travel 125 km each day. A person from Sheep's Head has to travel 118 km each day. That is not right. There has to be some kind of subsidy put in place for education facilities in the likes of Skibbereen and Kinsale to survive.

We had the same situation last year in relation to horticulture. The horticulture course was being dropped because the numbers were not there. There are numbers but they are not adequate. The problem is that Cork will dictate. Cork can have huge numbers because it has the population. I want the Minister to look into this because people want to go to take up higher education level 6 courses in healthcare but they cannot do so. They are told to do it in Cork because they will not be able to do it in Skibbereen. That cannot be allowed to continue. In fairness, I was accommodated when I sought by seeking a meeting. That was only last week, and I will be talking to them. However, that is the point I am trying to make. Those in the rural communities to which I refer cannot be expected to travel to Cork because they will not get accommodation there. There is an opportunity for places like Skibbereen and Kinsale to thrive if they get the supports.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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I will start by wishing the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, the best of luck for the years ahead.

I am of the view that apprentices have been treated like second-class citizens in comparison with their counterparts in the university system. I spoke to a builder the other day who told me he could hire 20 lads tomorrow morning if he could find them. That is a major issue. We will never build enough houses or infrastructure unless we can address the manpower issue in the country.

There is no doubt that there has been an attitude of snobbery towards the trades, particularly the wet trades, in recent years. That has come from the Government as well. I know young people who have gone on their apprenticeship journey, and the delays in the system have resulted in it taking them years to get their qualifications. We would not treat those studying to be teachers, doctors or members of the legal profession with such little regard. I plead with the Minister to address the issues relating to the apprenticeship system. It is only right and proper that people who go into trades know that if they satisfy the criteria relating to work experience and examinations, they should qualify within a timeframe of four years or whatever. Currently, that is not happening. It is no wonder that people are not going into the trades that we so desperately need in the country.

There is a major issue with the dropout rate relating to third level. We need to nurture students, not only those in the university system but also those at second level. The Minister for Education is not listening to teachers. Members of the ASTI and the TUI are set to ballot. The reason for this is because the lessons and the mistakes that were made in the context of junior cycle reform are set to be repeated in the reform of the leaving certificate. There are major concerns in the teaching sector. On the idea that we dumbed down junior cycle, it must be stated that we failed to listen to teachers when it came to reforming that cycle.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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You should conclude, Deputy.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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We are going to do the same thing again. That is why the teachers are balloting. I ask the Minister and the Minister of State to engage with the unions in a respectful way that will bring about reform that will be tolerable for teachers and students alike.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Déanaim comhghairdeas leis na hAirí. Tá aithne agam ar an mbeirt acu agus táim ag tnúth go mór leis an obair atá le déanamh acu agus an seans atá acu chun an obair sin a dhéanamh. Go háirithe, táim ag labhairt faoi smaoineamh an Aire, an Teachta Lawless, iarraidh ar lucht taighde ar fud an domhain, go háirithe dóibh nach bhfuil seans acu obair taighde a dhéanamh ina dtíortha féin, teacht anseo go dtí ár n-ollscoileanna agus ár gcoláistí chun an obair taighde sin a dhéanamh in Éirinn. Is maith an rud é seo dúinne, don gheilleagar agus do mhuintir na n-ollscoileanna.

There is no doubt about the power we have within our third level sector and the opportunity it gives to anybody who comes out of our school system to flourish in a global environment and bring the skills they learned within the sector at whatever level to bear on our economy and our international reputation. People take that opportunity and use it to travel throughout the world, building a reputation for Ireland as much as for themselves individually. As we are part of the European Union, if you go to university in this country, you also have the opportunity to take part in the Erasmus programme, to be a student in another European country, to build contacts, to get cultural experiences and to learn from other university environments. That is of enormous benefit.

I have served on the governing authorities of IADT and UCD. I know how hard people work within our university sector. I also know the level of innovation within it. We need to commit to giving the universities support in that. I also think of the benefits we get, economically and nationally, from universities. A report commissioned by the Irish Universities Association found that an individual undergraduate degree holder will generate a net gain of €62,000 for the Exchequer every year. That is after you take out the cost of educating that person and putting him or her through college. The seven universities in this country contribute €8.9 billion to the Irish economy every year. That is an enormous sum of money. It takes the form of fees from overseas students, research impacts, direct employment and the taxes paid by people who graduate from those universities and who then contribute to our economy at that level.

To think locally, UCD is in the top 1% of ranked higher education institutions worldwide, although that does not mean we cannot do better. When I was in third level, UCD was the ninth biggest town in Ireland by population. It is an enormous institution in its own right. It employs 11,000 people and generates €1.3 billion for Ireland's economy every year.

IADT is just up the road from where I live. It is now the Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dún Laoghaire. When I was growing up it was known as DLIADT. It has now become a global institution. There are Oscar winners who are graduates of IADT. It contributes greatly to Ireland's standing in the design and technology space. It is an international powerhouse in the area of film. My wife is studying screenwriting there at the moment. It gives us great pride that the National Film School is in IADT. The digital media building, which the Minister opened only last week, is also an important part of the campus. This facility contains 19 digital design studios and advanced computer laboratories. It increases IADT's student capacity by 600 and expands programmes in areas such as 3D animation, enterprise and technology. These are areas where we desperately need to increase our innovation.

On the education and training boards, I am lucky to also have Blackrock Further Education Institute in my constituency. It is one of Ireland's larger further education colleges. It provides graduates with professional qualifications in community and emergency care and information technology. People of all ages go to study there. It does not discriminate; it provides opportunities to people coming from all kinds of different backgrounds.

That aspect of equality of opportunity is very important in third level education. We have heard about apprenticeships. When Deputy Simon Harris was Minister in the Department of further education, he did great work to advance opportunities in apprenticeships. We need to continue that and to make sure that, irrespective of the discipline people choose after leaving school, there are pathways for them to get and better and to contribute at an increasingly higher level. The most important thing we can take away from our third level and higher education institutes is what they give to everybody in this country and to everybody who comes here to study by way of opportunities, skills and innovation and the opportunity to take those skills and build on them within this country or abroad because all of it ultimately feeds back into the sector and into our economic success.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I, too, congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State on their appointments. Like others, this is the first opportunity I have had to do so. The Minister can take as read that I support the thrust of what the previous speakers, Deputies Martin Daly and Barry Ward, the good Deputy beside me, have said.

I will take a slightly alternative route, however. The Dáil had gone into recess in July 2018 and our party leader, the current Taoiseach, was speaking at an event for the heads of third level colleges and institutions at the Alex Hotel. I do not know what possessed me but I said I would ramble down to hear what he had to say. He made a commitment there. His speech was well worth digging out. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, he traced the origins of our interest in education back to Dr. Paddy Hillery and up through Donogh O'Malley. It was at that meeting that the Taoiseach made a commitment to all the third level presidents and chairs, the good and the great, that, if elected to government and made Taoiseach, he would establish a Department of higher education, research and innovation for the first time. He was true to his word eight months later. It was really good to be there on that day.

We very often see the best of higher education. I do not mean this in a disparaging way but in the past few weeks when there was the big power cut in Spain, we saw that country go into complete convulsions. People simply did not know what to do when all of their electronic gadgets and whole digital world utterly stalled. That is the downside of people not being educated and trained in some of the real basics of life. It is like how people are not able to add when they go into shops any more because everything is done on the calculator or the computer.

There was a very interesting article in the Financial Times of all newspapers at the weekend. I was a practising psychotherapist for a number of years and it prompted me to go back to the theme of Ireland being the well-being capital of the world. I know I do not need to underpin that. It is an opportunity waiting to be taken. This really interesting article in the paper was about forest medicine and nature therapy. Dr. Martin Daly will be interested to hear that some GPs in the UK are prescribing this kind of therapy to patients to help them deal with depression and mental illness.

Higher education has been amazing but as the Minister, all the other Members of this House and I know, the law does not allow pharmacists to prescribe although they are qualified to do so. Advanced nurse practitioners have qualifications that enable them to do A to Z but the State only allows them to do A to D. There are special needs assistants who have graduate degrees and postgraduate degrees but there is no channel for them to move on, develop themselves and be promoted out of their existing positions. In other words, there is no pathway for them to move on.

I was in a Montessori special school recently. I raised this at a parliamentary party meeting last week. The teacher who is regarded as the best in the school was educated in a different jurisdiction and so their qualifications do not enable them to continue teaching here. They will now have to leave this school despite being regarded as the best teacher in it. I am also very interested in higher education as the next step for children with special needs. Whither children with autism when they leave post-primary school? What is the post-primary channel for them?

I have spent ten years banging the drum for apprenticeships. We are in love with technological universities. It was John Major who, with the stroke of a pen, turned all the polytechnics in the UK into universities overnight. There is a technological university campus in my constituency. I love it. It is very popular. Some 45% of the students who attend come from the immediate hinterland. However, it often strikes me that the home of institutes of technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, never saw fit to change its name because it had established itself as a market leader and as a brand that was really worth selling. Let us not lose that brand.

I would love to see a gap year between the ages of 18 and 25. I would love to see community service or non-military national service that allowed students to leave for the year and do the State some service across a range of areas.

We could be really innovative in that and they could really serve their communities well. I welcome the statements. I wish the Minister, Deputy Lawless, the very best. I was delighted when he was appointed. I know there is a good Minister in position, and that he will give it his absolute best and work his damned hardest.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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Higher and further education plays a pivotal role in driving economic development, as we all know. The link between the financial circumstances of children and young people can be statistically verified, with those growing up with good financial circumstances more likely to have a third level education compared to those who experience bad financial circumstances in childhood. This is 64.1% compared to 38.7%. Therefore, we can say there is a direct correlation between government intervention and the outcomes. At this time there are too many children who do not reach their full educational potential. The majority of these children are from less well-off backgrounds. Their parents cannot afford the grinds that have become a shadow education system in this State. We have to create a level playing field. This needs to be rectified, not only for the good of the individuals and their families but for the good of the economy in these strained global economic times.

The higher education sector provides the framework for research development with many innovations resulting in the creation of new industries, businesses and jobs streaming from the sector. Over recent weeks, with my colleague, Senator Conor Murphy, I have met with representatives from Meta, Google, Medtronic, Engineers Ireland, and Skillnet Ireland. At each of these meetings the need for increased investment to harness the opportunities provided by AI was discussed. The creation of new innovative companies and the ability to scale them is crucial for closing Europe's innovation and productivity gap, as highlighted recently in the Draghi report. I have asked the Government many times to unlock the National Training Fund to enable businesses to upskill so they can remain competitive and I am glad to see this is being done now.

A lot of what is being committed to here will be judged on whether it is delivered. We got fine words before in this space and it has not amounted to what it needs to amount to. If we are to stay ahead of the curve in our competitiveness and in many other aspects, and if we are to deal with a huge and growing inequality gap, there must be delivery on these things. I do not believe it is fair that businesses are contributing to the National Training Fund and building it up when they cannot get access to it. It is important that this be made accessible to businesses and for training, and also for what they have identified the need is. We are aware that EU companies spend significantly less on research and development than their US counterparts.

I also want to raise with the Minister the need for the provision of a further education and training centre in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. I have been asking for this for years. I raised it a number of times with the previous Minister and was told that SOLAS would look into it. Ballyhaunis is regularly cited as the most multicultural town in Ireland. It needs a facility like this as an economic driver. I urge the Minister to engage with the local community there to ensure the training centre is provided.

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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Tá áthas orm labhairt mar chuid de na ráitis ar an ardoideachas sa Teach inniu. Guím gach rath ar an Aire, an Teachta Lawless, agus an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Harkin, ina róil nua. I truly believe that education is the most powerful and liberating tool at our disposal when it comes to lifting people from economic poverty, but also the poverty of the imagination that afflicts so much of our world. I acknowledge the role our secondary schools play in preparing students for higher level education. In my constituency we have the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, LOETB, which provides a fantastic range of courses and also equips and provides students with higher education courses. The education and training board is playing a fantastic role in its involvement in the national training campus at Mount Lucas. This is certainly positive in developing and promoting apprenticeships. It is, however, disappointing to see that over the last number of years LOETB has received the lowest level of funding in the State when it comes to youth services. I hope the youth funding will be increased for the LOETB, which has been the lowest in the country.

There are still issues around SUSI grants for students trying to access higher education. Many families in my constituency regularly contact me about the SUSI grants. Due to marginal increases in their household income they find their children are excluded. This is particularly the case when it comes to civil and public servants who had mandatory pay increases. Now that pay increase means their child is over the threshold for a SUSI grant. This needs to be corrected out of fairness. I have submitted a number of parliamentary questions on this very issue.

Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)
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Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire agus leis an Aire Stáit. I should stick to the title of economic enabler, but the social care benefits to be gained from the power of further and higher education cannot be ignored. Not a day goes by in this Chamber or in our communities that we do not discuss the plight of children with additional needs and special abilities. We get briefings from various healthcare groups and support groups on the stark realities of life for our ageing population. These vulnerable children and adults require additional supports from occupational and speech therapists, special needs assistants and carers. The education and training boards delivering further education courses and work experience opportunities to students can provide graduates in these areas of critical social need. Even as I reference the ETBs the University of Ulster is already trying to attract students from my local ETB further education courses with various bursary and rent-free incentives. This is something we need to monitor.

Going forward we must ensure there is adequate resourcing of higher education and research by the State. We must also ensure there is balanced and unbiased education to ensure the well-being of all members of our community.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this. Of course we all appreciate the power that a university education devolves to students. It opens many doors for them. We must not forget, however, that we also need apprentices in all the trades. Consider plasterers, for example. We talk of housing every day here but they will not be built without tradesmen. We need carpenters, we need block layers, we need plasterers and digger drivers. There is an awful lot of work to be done. It would be grand if youngsters could go to college and spend four or five years or whatever in college but go back and embark on a trade if they did not fit into something at university. However, it is too late then. Young fellas need to start at 16 or 17 years of age, if they are interested.

We also need mechanics, which someone mentioned already. It is very important to someone buying a car, a bus, a lorry, a tractor or whatever, that whoever they buy it from has a mechanic that knows what is wrong if something small goes wrong with it. Maybe it is a sensor or some kind of an electric gadget that we know nothing at all about. We would not be able to change clutches or starters and all those kinds of things. We need people versed in that and we need to encourage those people. I wish the Minister and the Minister of State well in their new roles.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I am really happy to be able to participate in this discussion. This is my first contribution on the floor of this House since being appointed junior Minister with special responsibility for further education, apprenticeship, construction and climate skills. In opening the debate, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, spoke of the importance not just of the higher education system but also of the further education and training system in helping to secure the economic social and cultural development of our country. Just for this evening we are specifically concentrating on the economic aspect. I heard what a number of my colleagues spoke about, including Deputies Cummins and Connolly, among others, but it is worth saying that the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and I fully appreciate the much broader scope of higher and further education.

Deputy Hearne spoke about the power of education. The Deputy is not in the Chamber, but when he spoke of it, he was speaking to the converted. He mentioned Ballymun. I was privileged to have taught in Ballymun earlier in my career. Through my experience there and in Mercy College Sligo, I fully appreciate the power of education across so many different spheres. Deputies Hearne and Connolly spoke about the promotion of curiosity and critical thinking, which is essential.

Today, we are concentrating on the facilitation of the development of skills and knowledge through a lifelong learning journey, both as a pathway to employment and throughout one's career. This Government aims to ensure that individuals can learn at varying skill levels at different times and at a pace that is suited to their needs. In that context, we are making real efforts to ensure lifelong learning is accessible to all. Taking this approach involves designing different educational pathways. Some of them are parallel, some intersect and some allow access at different points of that pathway. By doing that and, crucially, keeping the learner at the centre of what we do, we are harnessing the power of higher and further education to act as an economic enable in what all of us recognise is an uncertain and changing world.

As a Government, we are approaching this from a number of angles. These include but are not limited to the supply of relevant educational opportunities, both in higher and further education and training, ranging from apprenticeships, which many Deputies have spoken about, to microcredentials, from earn as you learn, which is part of the apprenticeship programme, to full-time postdoctorate qualifications, from programmes such as Springboard+ to tertiary programmes. We are investing in high-quality research and innovation, which has already been outlined by the Minister, Deputy Lawless. As a result of that, we are also attracting investment in quality jobs and, crucially, helping to maintain the jobs we have. I congratulate the Minister on his global talent initiative. It is something that we will be hearing a lot more about.

I wish to make one point. This is my personal view, and I know it is shared by the Minister. The learner is central to all of this. In that regard, access is vital. While we have made progress, we need to see further improvements. We have introduced flexibility in the structure of certain courses, reduced costs in some cases and made a variety of courses available in regional locations, something that is important to me. In this context, I agree with the Minister that the provision of student accommodation throughout the country and the development of the capabilities of the technological university sector in providing accommodation - my colleague, Deputy Kenny, spoke about it earlier - can help to drive balanced regional development. I know that this is not a simple ask. It will require a lot of work and planning, but the need is immediate. ATU in my own area in Sligo is a case in point. There is a real need for this college and others to be able to either provide accommodation or facilitate the provision of student accommodation.

I am half-way through my speech and I do not want to forget to thank my colleagues for their contributions. It is my first time sitting on this side of the House, but I have not forgotten what it is like to be in opposition. I know that there are so many genuine, good ideas and important points to be made by all Deputies. I have listened carefully. Some of the issues raised were at a local level and some had a national perspective. I have taken notes and am always available to work with Deputies.

As a former secondary school teacher, I wish to mention one point about the operation of the CAO. The programme for Government has committed to CAO reform. We know that the lead-up to the leaving certificate is hugely stressful for students, parents and school communities. On a personal level, the outcome of the leaving certificate, although important, is just another stop in a lifelong process. Nonetheless, some reform is important, and some has begun, with information on further education, training and apprenticeships now available on the CAO website. In addition, our objective is to reduce the pressure on students and increase the pathways to access further and higher education. We are working to ensure that we maintain a plurality of pathways for learners in order that they have more than one way of getting to their preferred courses.

My time is running out. As Minister of State with responsibility for apprenticeships, the expansion of apprenticeships is a major priority for me and the Government. Apprenticeships offer a unique pathway to a job while allowing students to earn as they gain important qualifications. These kinds of option, which allow people to earn a living while studying and acquiring skills, can have a transformative effect on affordability and accessibility for the many people who wish to pursue this particular journey.

I commend previous Ministers because, in 2024, we saw major progress towards our ambitious targets of 10,000 annual apprenticeships registered by the end of 2025 and 12,500 by the end of 2030, with 9,352 registrations in 2024. That is real progress. We still have a lot of work to do, but those who have gone before us have done good work.

My Department will now be developing the strategy for apprenticeships over the next five years. In the action plan, we will continue to improve the effectiveness of apprenticeships for employers and learners and safeguard the ability of the apprenticeship training programme to respond to global shocks, namely, demographic change, climate change, digitalisation, and to national needs such as promoting modern methods of construction, retrofitting skills, etc.

I apologise, as I have much more to say. I listened and I will respond to the Deputies. I thank them for their contributions, which have been useful and informative. I say it genuinely that I look forward to working with all of them.