Results 801-820 of 6,558 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Please see attached table outlining the current 2025 budgetary allocations (across both the Vote 45 and National Training Fund) to each of the higher education and research bodies as requested. Allocations were agreed as part of the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services 2025 which was published in December 2024. Please note that the detailed budgetary allocations requested by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: There are 28 vacancies for Higher Executive Officer and above in my Department as on the 31st March 2025. Once a role becomes vacant, or a new post is created, the Department aims to fill the post as soon as possible using one of the available recruitment methods. Of the posts listed below, it is anticipated that approximately 70% of these will be filled by the end of 2025 subject to panel...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide...

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

James Lawless: My department's Public Service Apprenticeship Plan was launched in August 2023 and is a key commitment under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. It seeks to grow the uptake of apprenticeship across the public service. Through 2024, my department and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) engaged with public service sectors to identify their skills...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Staff (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The below table outlines the job titles and salaries of all Ministerial staff and Department private secretaries who are currently employed in my Department. Job Title Applicable Pay Scale Special Advisor to the Minister Principal Officer Special Advisor to the Minister Principal Officer Special Advisor to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: When the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 was commenced, sixteen higher education institutions were automatically designated. These higher education institutions are the seven traditional universities, the technological universities, the institutes of technology, the National College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The Higher Education Authority Act 2022...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 commenced with sixteen higher education institutions automatically designated (the seven traditional universities, the technological universities, the institutes of technology, the National College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland). The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 also provides for a designation by order process...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The National Training Fund (NTF) was established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000, as a dedicated fund to support training of those in employment, and those seeking employment. Section 7 of the Act provides for the NTF to be used to fund schemes, which are established to:raise the skills of those in employment,provide training to those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment,...

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

James Lawless: Craft apprentices are employees and are paid directly by their employer during the “on-the-job” phases of their apprenticeship. Craft apprentice gross wage norms differ for different sectors, are set through collective bargaining, and may be underpinned by sectoral employment orders. When craft apprentices attend “off-the-job” training in Education and Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Services Staff (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1069 and 1070 together. The graduate data requested by the deputy for the years 2020-2023 is in the attached table. The data is from the Student Records System database of the Higher Education Authority. Student numbers are rounded to the nearest five for data protection purposes. The graduate data for 2024 is not yet available from the HEA. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I can provide the Deputy with the number of students that have been awarded a grant under the Student Grant Scheme for the requested years. These are students that are attending an approved full-time course in an approved higher education institution. The figures exclude PLC and oversees colleges. Award 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As a short-term measure to address the challenges faced by students in accessing accommodation, the Government approved funding for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to activate projects with planning permission that had stalled due to cost and viability challenges. Under this measure a percentage of the new beds will be ringfenced for target group students at below market rates. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: In the new Student Accommodation Strategy, which is in development, my focus will be on increasing the supply of student accommodation to benefit both students, and to free up private rental homes. The objectives of the strategy are to:increase the supply of state supported student accommodation.reduce the cost of delivery through development of standardised design guidance.promote...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My Department and I am committed to expanding the number of places available on Medicine Programmes in a sustainable way in collaboration with with my cabinet colleague Minister Carroll McNeill and her officials in the Department of Health. In July 2022, along with the Minister for Health, an agreement was announced to increase the number of annual intake places available for Irish and EU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My officials were in contact with the Deputy's Parliamentary Assistant, Mr. Cormac Devlin who agreed to withdraw this PQ and to have the matter dealt with via eCorrespondence.

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

James Lawless: National pipefitting apprenticeship training at phases 4 and 6 is delivered through:Phase 4: Louth Meath Education Training Board with 84 places available in 2025.Phase 6: Munster Technological University (MTU) at its Bishopstown campus in Cork, with an April and September intake in 2025 followed by a January intake in 2026 each with the capacity for 16 places. As of the end of March this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As per the Deputy’s previous question - PQ 7699/25 - on this matter submitted to my Department on 19th February 2025, and the response I gave on 25th March 2025 remains the same. As the Deputy is aware, in March 2024, SIPTU and TUI, the unions representing tutors, agreed to a proposal to formally establish a new grade of adult educator with a standardised pay scale aligned with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vacant Properties (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My Department does not own or rent any properties, derelict or otherwise, in Dublin-Rathdown. All my Department's official locations are on sites owned and/or operated by the OPW in St. Stephen's Green, Marlborough St and Tullamore.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide increased...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I am sure that the Deputy will appreciate that, as Minister, I have no role in the operational day-to-day running of ETBs, as the scheduling and programming of courses is a matter for each individual ETB, subject to their available budget and local needs. My Department has significantly increased its investment in Further Education and Training in the last number of years, from circa...