Results 301-320 of 6,887 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the awarding authority, SUSI to determine. Postgraduate students who meet all the conditions of the Student Grant Scheme may become eligible for the following supports:A student Maintenance grant which was restored in September 2024 for the first time since the financial crash with a pro-rata effect...

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

James Lawless: Irish students are eligible to apply for tuition fee loans through the appropriate UK student finance system (England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, depending on where the university they are attending is based). If they are studying at undergraduate level, they are also eligible to apply for Maintenance Grants through SUSI. They may also be eligible for financial assistance through...

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

James Lawless: My Department supports the wider climate action work of Government including through key strategic enabler actions in the fields of research and skills. The action which the Deputy is referring to is the process to establish new collaborative Research Centres to work across Ireland on subjects of national importance including Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability. This relates to the...

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

James Lawless: By way of background for the Deputy, Youthreach is a national programme designed to provide second-chance education for young people aged 16 to 20 who have left school early or are at risk of not completing their formal education. It offers a flexible, supportive, and alternative learning environment distinct from mainstream post-primary schools, with the aim of equipping participants with...

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

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3403 and 3404 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...

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

James Lawless: The purpose of the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) is to provide funding to higher and further education institutions to assist them in offering supports and services to eligible students with disabilities so that they can participate on an equal basis with their peers. The FSD for higher education institutions is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the...

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

James Lawless: Supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a priority for my Department. Students with disabilities have been identified as a group who are under-represented in higher education and therefore are named as specific target group under the National Access Plan (NAP). The NAP sets out the ambition for an inclusive, diverse higher education sector. A target to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: My Department works in close collaboration with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Education and Training Boards (ETBs) on the planning and development of capital projects. These projects are aligned with the institutions established masterplans and strategic priorities. Under the National Development Plan, capital investment is allocated to HEIs and ETBs through competitive,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The College of the Future Major Projects Fund (COTF) was launched in February 2022 to address existing deficits in FET infrastructure, to support projects that drive reform of the FET sector and to facilitate consolidation and integration of further education and training. A total of twelve projects were successful at the first stage of the assessment process and these moved to the next stage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund was launched in February 2022 to address existing deficits in FET infrastructure, to support projects that drive reform of the FET sector and to facilitate consolidation and integration of further education and training. All ETBs were invited to submit proposals under this programme for consideration, twelve projects were successful at the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: My department has been advised by the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) that there are some 20 new apprenticeship programmes at various stages of development. There are ten steps in developing a national apprenticeship, from research and formulating the outline proposal (Step 1), to creating an industrial training order (which is a statutory instrument designating an industrial activity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: As of end-June 2025, 479 apprentices were attending training at Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) across the following programmes:Accounting Technician,Carpentry and Joinery,Electrical, Hairdressing,Metal Fabrication,Motor Mechanics,Pipefitting, Plumbing,Sales,Toolmaking,Wood Manufacturing and Finishing.The Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTCE) was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The Government is committed to improving access to training for apprentices. In 2021, the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) was set up as a dedicated body to promote and raise the profile of apprenticeships among prospective learners. Progress to date includes the inclusion of apprenticeship options on the CAO website and the launch of the NAO Freephone Advice Helpline, which is a year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Demand for craft apprenticeships has grown significantly, with annual registrations increasing by 35% since 2019 from 5,271 in 2019 to 7,113 in 2024. The number of craft apprentices reached 25,000 at the end of 2024, up from 16,000 in 2019. Significant Government investment in apprenticeship over 2024 and 2025 has also unblocked the previous backlog at phase 2 - increasing the overall volume...

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

James Lawless: Adult education and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The income limit eligibility criteria for various grants under the Student Grant Scheme is the same for...

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

James Lawless: The staff numbers in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are recorded at the end of each month. As of 30 June 2025, 300.03 full time equivalent civil servants are actively employed by my Department.* Details are provided in the table below. Grade FTE number Secretary General 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Information and Communications Technology (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The Department of Education and Youth (DEY) provide direct ICT services to my Department on a shared service basis under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This includes leading on the provision of ICT infrastructure, networks and cybersecurity. DEY have confirmed that it does not have a policy or a goal with regard to the in-sourcing of ICT requirements. DEY's Chief...

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

James Lawless: The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides funding to higher education institutions to assist them in offering supports and services to eligible students with disabilities so that they can participate on an equal basis with their peers. The Fund for Students with Disabilities is allocated to the HEIs as a block grant and the provision of supports and services to eligible students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (29 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). Generally speaking, a grant will not be paid to a student for a repeat period of study on the same course, or for a different course at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously, as per Article 15...