Results 221-240 of 5,894 for speaker:James Lawless

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Oideachas Gaeltachta (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Snodaigh agus leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach as ucht na ceiste seo. Freagróidh mé i nGaeilge í, ach ós rud é nach bhfuil mo chuid Gaeilge chomh láidir le Gaeilge an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, rud a bhfuilim ag obair go dian air chun feabhas a chur air, freagróidh mé na ceisteanna forlíontacha i...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Oideachas Gaeltachta (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: An bhfuil mé thar am? Ceart go leor.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy is being a little bit elastic in his supplementary question. A question on Galway and Roscommon ETB has morphed to include pharmaceutical course provision at the Waterford campus of SETU. I will run with it, however.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: We are also on the theme of constructive collaboration. I do not know if the Deputy was in the Chamber for my interaction with Deputy Fitzmaurice but I fully agree with both Deputies. I am very keen to see these courses proceed. The provision on high-end professional qualifications in areas such as veterinary science and pharmaceuticals will be a hallmark of the technological universities....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy. She mentioned the audiovisual room presentations and so forth. As I have told the House this morning, I am a new Minister and am reading into the brief. If Members know of groups or interested parties who wish to engage with me, they should feel free to direct them my way. I cannot guarantee I will meet everybody every time but I will do my best to meet with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: As does mine.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: My daughter also commutes to college and I would prefer if she did not have to commute such a distance. I see at first hand that it can detract from quality of life. I have met student unions, most recently the union in Maynooth, and have heard that message conveyed. I completely get it and appreciate it. On the framework being voluntary rather than mandatory, there is always a risk at...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: On ATU, I recently sanctioned the purchase of 16 acres by ATU Sligo. This is a site just opposite the college campus. The Deputy may be aware of it. That will come on stream in due course.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy is talking about Mayo. All politics is local. I understand that. I might have to come back to her on the details of the situation in Mayo.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: I completely agree with the Deputy. My constituency is in neither catchment but is an agricultural constituency. It is an equine constituency. County Kildare is the home of the horses. I know many people who are interested in these courses and who tell me about the ongoing demand, the need for placements and the need for vets, including large animal vets. Small practice is its own area,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: I am aware of the Deputy's interest, and indeed the interest of the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, in all items on the west coast, and this development no less. I know the Deputy is well aware that Galway and Roscommon ETB is being supported by SOLAS in developing its preliminary business case proposal under the FET college of the future major projects fund. The proposal put forward...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: For the record, as regards Galway and Roscommon ETB, I think €1.03 million in funding just in the current year is already earmarked, even aside from this project. I am aware, however, that there was a request for the square footage to be reduced. I think there was an application for 25,000 sq. m. The college was invited to submit a revised business case. There was a meeting with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: It would be unhelpful for me to comment on the particular facility in terms of the details of it because I am not informed on it. It would be unfair to the project. However, I take the Deputy's point that phase 2 will now follow and will undoubtedly provide important services. I think her suggestion is that it would be better to do the whole thing at once, if I understand her correctly....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Reform (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: The Cassells report was published a number of years ago and that was superseded by the Funding the Future framework. That was published in May 2022 and outlines the vision for how higher education will be funded and how this will support students, employees and wider society. The framework identified a figure of €307 million as representing the quantum of increase in core funding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Reform (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: On the Deputy's comment about the two other Ministers since; there have been three Ministers in the past five years since this Department was created. The Tánaiste served for four of those years, the then Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, served for six months and I have been here for two months. Give us a chance and let us see where we are. I will certainly make my best efforts, as the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Reform (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy mentioned more funding does not necessarily lead to greater outcomes. That is why it is all the more important it is delivered in a strategic way and, as I said in my first response, the Funding the Future framework does have that at its core - to align funding with enhanced performance and strategic reforms and quality of outcomes. I agree with the Deputy and that is why we are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Reform (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: There was a pay agreement entered into between Government and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions last year and in the Revised Estimates, an amount of €24.9 million was provided in the base for the higher education sector in anticipation of that pay deal being agreed. That is a slightly separate track. I appreciate there are competing priorities, as always. That highlights the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for his kinds words to me and to the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. We both look forward to serving this Department as a team and bettering the sector. In terms of the Deputy's question, I am very interested in this area myself. I have made inquiries on it since I assumed the post. As the Deputy is probably aware, the HEA ran an expression of interest process in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: Deputy Boyd Barrett asked about the temporary reduction. It was a temporary reduction; that is the point. It is important that we put it on a more sustainable, long-lived, permanent track, and that is part of the consultation I intend to hold with students, student bodies, stakeholders and universities to understand what would be a more holistic, sustainable formula to meet the cost of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (27 Mar 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputies. Deputy Boyd Barrett should note that I am of course concerned about students dropping out. One or five is too many, never mind 5,000. I would like to understand the reasons. Some analysis would be helpful and I will look into this. I understand that meeting the cost of college has never been easy. I also understand that if the supports, which are abundant in the...