Results 361-380 of 6,887 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: PQRef: 39329/25 The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in question are autonomous bodies within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997. As autonomous bodies with academic and administrative freedom, each institution is responsible for its own policies and programme development. It is a matter for each individual HEI to determine the intended outcomes for its programmes including if...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: In April 2019 the Government published 'Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions', which is the Framework for Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in HEIs. The Framework has 15 outcomes which fall under four thematic areas: Institutional Culture, Institutional Processes, Institutional Policies and Targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is a pathway for degree holders who want to pursue a medical career on an accelerated four-year programme. Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding. They are also not eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme as they do not meet the progression criteria of the Scheme. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: By way of background information for the Deputy, the TUI submitted a claim to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) seeking a standardised calendar year for Youthreach Centres run by Education and Training Boards (ETBs). My officials agreed an approach to consider the proposal with the TUI. As part of this, my officials have been working with the National Youthreach Co-ordinator,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Minimum wage legislation, which falls under the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, does not apply to the remuneration of a person who is an apprentice within the meaning of or under the Industrial Training Act, 1967, or the Labour Services Act, 1987. Neither SOLAS nor my department is involved in the setting of wages for apprentices. Apprentices are employees and party...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: In March 2024, SIPTU and TUI accepted a proposal made by my Department, the Department of Education and Youth (DEY), and the Department of Public Expenditure (DPER), 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, DEY, DPER, Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI),...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1035 and 1036 together. The Test Event Notification and Results Capture System (TENRCS) was originally designed by FÁS to facilitate the recording and aggregation of test results, as well as storing summarised results in the Results Capture Certification Request system (RCCRS) for the purpose of submitting the information to certifying bodies. At...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a critical national priority. Officials from my Department are currently taking the next step on establishing a working group of key stakeholders to identify how the Department could work with and link to existing transition processes and to ensure that students and parents are provided with the information they need...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: My Department has responsibility for further and higher education as well as research and innovation. The referenced commitment is part of the Government’s overall commitment to strengthening Ireland’s place in and contribution to the European Union. My Department is supporting and promoting three important initiatives which build links and understanding throughout the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy may be aware that my Department, through the Higher Education Authority and Research Ireland, has leveraged the Shared Island fund to establish collaborative research programmes under the first call of the North-South Research Programme. This amounted to €37 million. A further €70 million has been allocated to the establishment of two Co-centres for Research on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: There is a comprehensive and ambitious set of commitments for research and innovation in the Programme for Government. This work, including the commitment to create research fellowships to strengthen Ireland’s appeal to top-tier academic and research talent, will be progressed via a number of policies, primarily under Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The formation of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland in August 2024 is an essential aspect of the Impact 2030 Strategy, designed to support the development of a more effective and cohesive national research and innovation ecosystem. Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland is working with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and others to ensure delivery of Ireland's research...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Programme for Government (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: While my Department have certain actions within this strategy, the subject of this question does not fall under my remit and is more appropriate to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. My officials have been in contact with that Department and they have advised that they would forward a response to you should you contact them directly.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: A list of all national strategies, action plans or documents that may be described as such which are currently in operation and under the remit of my Department can be found below:Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025Public Service Action PlanFuture FET: Transforming Learning 2020-2024National Skills Strategy 2016-2025The OECD Ireland Skills Strategy Review 2023 and its recommendations act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (15 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold or, in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant. For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (9 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I know.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (9 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Yes.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (9 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Absolutely.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (9 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Absolutely. Some work is being done on external authenticators. We will come back to the Deputy on that. As regards the teacher model, I am keen to take up that discussion further. It is something I would like to explore. If the Deputy wants to arrange something, I would be happy to do that as well. We will have to engage with the unions as well and see what the views of the...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (9 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: On disability and enabling students, there is also the disability access route to education, DARE, programme, for higher education. One of the ways that works is that 5% of places are ring-fenced for students with disabilities, and within that 5% students with disabilities are competing with each other, not other students. That is one way to level the playing field or an attempt to. There...