Results 1-20 of 6,969 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (22 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The main support available to assist students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the 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. A Part-Time...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach agus na Seanadóirí. It is good to be here with them today. I see the same familiar faces of the spokespersons I know in the area. It is good to engage with them all both formally today and informally as we all work together in the course of the term. I thank them for their interest in the topic. I am grateful for the chance to speak...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I will of course.

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I thank all of the Senators very much. I had a prepared speech but I am going to set it aside because it would be far more useful to reply to the contributions made in the course of the debate and to engage with the different points that were made. There was a lot of commonality in the contributions, which makes that easier. I thank Senator Dee Ryan for the reminder that Donogh O'Malley...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: That is fantastic. I would have loved to have met him. He is sort of an icon. What was really fascinating about him was his battle on the council in Sheffield in the seventies and eighties. When he got to be Home Secretary he had a certain level of support. It was even more remarkable that he was able to cut through the feuding and challenges we all have coming through local government....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I can advise the Deputy that the costs of the tendering process in respect of the Higher Education PPP Bundle 1 was as follows: 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 €347,530.00 €949,733.00 €227,072.00 €187,884.00 €43,551.00 The cost of the tendering process in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The Higher Education Route (HEAR) and the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) are operated by the Irish Universities Association, on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and my Department has no remit for this scheme. Under HEAR & DARE each institution determines its own admissions policy, the number of places to be reserved and the the allocation of those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The purpose of the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) is to assist higher education institutions in ensuring students with disabilities have the necessary assistance and equipment to enable them access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study. The FSD is one of the main funding sources supporting participation by students with disabilities in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: One of my key priorities and indeed one of the Governments is to support the participation and success for all students in third level education in our country. The 1916 Bursary is an award made to eligible Students from the most disadvantaged background who are new entrants to higher education. The table below outlines the breakdown of new bursaries awarded to eligible students for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Details of the funding allocation to QQI for 2024 and 2025 is available under the Revised Estimates Volume voted by the Oireachtas. I include a link to this information for your convenience: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructur e-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/the-r evised-estimates-volumes-for-the-public-service/. The funding allocation for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The Department of Education and Youth provides an ICT shared service to my department. All staff working within the ICT unit are employed by the Department of Education and Youth (DoY). Consequently, there are no application specialists at the HEO grade employed directly by my department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Supported by significant government investment, annual apprenticeship registrations have grown strongly in recent years from 6,177 in 2019 to 9,352 in 2024. This 51% increase provides a strong foundation for achieving the target of 12,500 annual apprentice registrations by the end of 2030. Year to date to September of this year, there have been 6,676 apprenticeship registrations. It should...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The apprenticeship system takes a demand-led, employer-driven approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. As such, the demand for and number of apprentices is significantly influenced by employers in any given sector. The Government remains firmly committed to apprenticeships and has significantly expanded opportunities for learners in recent years, recognising their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 906 and 907 together. The Government is strongly committed to growing and strengthening Ireland’s apprenticeship system, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025. This commitment is already delivering results: supported by sustained investment, the system has seen significant growth in recent...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Annual apprenticeship registrations have grown strongly in recent years, increasing from 5,326 in 2020 to 9,352 in 2024. This growth has been supported by significant government investment in apprenticeship delivery since my department was formed in 2020. To ensure an adequate pipeline of skilled apprentices to support government targets on housing and infrastructure development, an...

National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Referral to Select Committee (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).

National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister of State for dealing comprehensively with a number of issues. I will take up any remaining issues. I thank Sinn Féin for its support for the Bill and engage with the comments its Members made. There is a funding deficit in the university sector that was well called out in the Cassells report and again in 2022 in the Funding the Future report, which built on that....

National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: We interact every week.

National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: A regular correspondence.

National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I look forward to it too.