Results 221-240 of 6,887 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: The Ennis Campus of Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) provides education in Social Care Work: the Level 7 BA and the Level 8 BA (Hons). In April 2025 the government agreed a nation-wide expansion in disciplines related to Health and Social Care Professions by an additional 461 student places; 310 of those places were introduced this September. I appreciate your...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reviews (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: I am acutely conscious of the financial challenges facing students and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to education. I am committed to easing this burden for students and their families in a financially sustainable way. The main support available to assist students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) are currently being supported by SOLAS in developing their Preliminary Business Case (PBC) for a state-of-the-art further education campus in Swords under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund. As part of the PBC stage, DDLETB will need to further develop their proposal and demonstrate its alignment with relevant regional and national...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: My officials have contacted DDLETB, and it advised that it offers a wide range of programmes supporting both school leavers and early school leavers. These programmes are tailored to meet the needs of young learners and help them progress to further education, training, or employment, by making optimal use of available funding and resources. Programme categories include:Post Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2739 and 2740 together. My Department works in collaboration with Higher Education Institutions and Education and Training Boards, through the Higher Education Authority and SOLAS, on the development of capital projects in line with their established masterplans and Departmental and Government priorities. Capital funding programmes within my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: In 2023, the Government approved funding of up to 85% (£38.25m) for the construction cost of a new Teaching Building on the Derry campus through an allocation of up to €44.5m from the Shared Island Fund. Ulster University (UU) has committed to funding the 15% balance (£12.75m) as well as any cost overruns. UU estimates a 48 to 60-month construction period. Following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. The costs incurred by a HEI in increasing student places on a particular course or establishing an additional course can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: Seven apprenticeships covering the areas of electrical, mechanical and welding trades have been created in the past five years. These are listed along with their launch year in tabular form below. This is in addition to 21 existing pre-2016 craft apprenticeships in the areas of construction, electrical and engineering as well as nine other existing post-2016 consortia-led apprenticeships in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: DFHERIS is strongly of the view that research staff in all higher education institutions across the sector should be able to access a public service pension scheme. Officials from my Department have submitted a business case to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to support access to the single public service pension scheme for those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency responsible for promoting the quality, integrity and reputation of Ireland’s further and higher education system. One of the main roles of QQI is to validate educational and training programmes. QQI programme validation is a regulatory process which ensures that any new programme being proposed by a provider to lead to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I can confirm to the Deputy that as per the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2025, the income of the National Training Fund is forecast at nearly €1.3 billion with expenditure forecast at just over €1 billion and these forecasts result in an expected annual surplus of nearly €230 million.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: In 2024, my Department commissioned the ESRI to develop a roadmap framework to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the various schemes funded through the National Training Fund (NTF). The research examined the extent to which the various schemes can be readily evaluated by identifying the methodological framework most suitable for each respective scheme, given its objectives, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3311 and 3393 together. As part of the National Training Fund (NTF) package approved in Budget 2025 it was agreed that core funding to the higher education sector would be increased by €150 million, with €50 million NTF funding agreed for 2025 and a further additional €25 million for each year thereafter up to and including 2029. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Supply data from the Higher Education Authority indicates there are 15,532 public purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) beds nationally. The total number of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) beds in County Cork is 9,585 beds. This includes 8,051 private beds as well as the 1,534 public beds owned by University College Cork.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: In March 2024, SIPTU and TUI accepted a proposal made by my Department, the Department of Education and Youth, and the Department of Public Expenditure, to formally establish a new grade of adult educator with a pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource Person scale. This followed many years of work by my Department, with the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pilot Training Courses (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is committed to supporting a Further Education and Training (FET) system that helps individuals succeed, boosts economic growth, and prepares our workforce for the challenges and opportunities ahead, while fostering stronger communities. This commitment is underpinned by a significant investment of over €1 billion in 2025. This funding allocation agreed by Government at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: 207 multinational corporations and 190 small and medium enterprises (SME) collaborated contractually with Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland and its funded researchers in 2024. SMEs accounting for almost 48% of the total. Funded researchers also collaborated with 87 non-profit organisations on a contractual basis, and more broadly, collaboration on a non-contractual basis with more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cúrsaí Gaeilge (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Tá ról tábhachtach ag ár gcóras ardoideachais maidir le tacú le húsáid na Gaeilge agus í a chur chun cinn, rud a bheidh ríthábhachtach chun sprioc an Rialtais maidir le hinniúlacht Ghaeilge 20% sa tseirbhís phoiblí a bhaint amach faoi 2030. Tá ról tábhachtach ag ár gcóras ardoideachais maidir le...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Legal Services (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: All legal costs for my Department are included within the published Appropriation Accounts, under 6.1 within Vote 45. Please find the link below. The 2024 Accounts are currently under audit and will be published once the audit is complete. My Department procured external legal advice in the following years: In 2023 to provide legal services for the Minister in relation to changes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Adult education tutors play an important role in empowering individuals, broadening access to learning, and in strengthening communities. After many years of work through the established IR mechanisms by my Department with the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Public Expenditure, Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), and SIPTU and TUI, the new grade of Adult...