Results 1-20 of 5,794 for speaker:James Lawless

Seanad: Higher Education: Motion (7 May 2025)

James Lawless: The Senator's last lines are good advice for anybody.

Seanad: Higher Education: Motion (7 May 2025)

James Lawless: I was just taking stock and this has been a good debate. I thank the Senators who brought forward the motion, and all who contributed. I am delighted to see the topic is getting air time in this House and the other House, because it is of such fundamental importance to our economy, our society and everything we do and have done as a nation. I am delighted this opportunity for all to have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (1 May 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to thank the Deputy for raising the issue of Irish Sign Language (ISL) education in Further and Higher Education institutions. The following courses are currently offered by Higher Education Institutions:Munster Technological University offers a Special Purpose Award (SPA) Certificate in ISL — a year-long, part-time course at Level 6 on the National Framework of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (1 May 2025)

James Lawless: My Department has had considerable engagement with the National College of Ireland in the past, particularly in relation to capital funding requests for the expansion of the college's northeast inner-city Dublin campus. The National College of Ireland is a private, not for profit, and independent institution. Its day-to-day operations, including matters related to administration and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (30 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for this question. My Department recognises and appreciates the work and commitment of adult educators and Youthreach resource persons. I would like to clarify that the new grade of adult educator will not replace the established grade of Youthreach resource person or affect their current terms and conditions set out in Circular 12/2003. The pay scale for the new adult...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (30 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together. For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students who are dependent on parents/legal guardian, mature dependent students, or independent students. If a student has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (30 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I outline below the percentage of the capital budget allocation for my Department that was spent in the first four months for each year requested. 2023 2024 2025 19.3% 18.9% 22.4%

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (30 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Ensuring a pipeline of qualified graduates to meet the mental health needs of adults and children is a priority for this Government. There are three main disciplines of Psychology; Clinical, Counselling and Educational, all of which require a level 10 PhD to meet professional standards to practice. Five Universities in Ireland provide Clinical Psychology programmes at level 10 with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (30 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Impact 2030 is Ireland's National Research and Innovation Strategy. The first Impact 2030 Progress Report was published in July 2023. The intention of the Impact 2030 Progress Report is to assess the extent to which the multiannual work programmes are being delivered, thereby providing ongoing insight into how Ireland's research-funding Departments and Agencies are working together to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (30 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...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Apprenticeship Programmes (29 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this important matter. I acknowledge the Deputy's continued advocacy for his constituency of Kerry and his interest in this topic. He has raised this issue with me via parliamentary questions as well as elsewhere. I am aware of the issue the Deputy has raised. It is an important and frustrating issue. It has been raised with me in a number of different...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Apprenticeship Programmes (29 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for his advocacy. I appreciate that there can be short notice - I understand it is typically seven days from a letter of offer to a response. If an apprentice is not in a position to take up the offer that time, it is given to the next person on the list. There are two competing goals. One is to keep the system moving and keep apprentices on the waiting list moving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My officials are liaising with Kerry ETB and I will follow up with the Minister in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Central Applications Office (CAO) is a not-for-profit company created by the Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It processes applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on the behalf of HEIs. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO, and queries on points ascribed to Leaving Certificate results are a matter for the CAO and HEIs. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The administration of the visa policy is a matter for the Department of Justice, and I would advise that this matter be taken up with my colleague, the Minister for Justice.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Welfare Service (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My officials were in contact with the Deputy’s Staff who stated that they were going to withdraw this question and re-consider.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 436 together. My officials are currently considering potential application and adoption of AI in its work. An internal working group has been established to progress and consider the potential future beneficial use of AI. Limited circumstances in which AI is currently used include summarising text and workshop structuring. All text is reviewed and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 434 and 435 together. CeADAR is the National Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence and the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) for AI in Ireland. CeADAR has more than 90 member companies ranging from multinationals to indigenous SMEs spanning every industry vertical. The primary work of the Centre is on cutting-edge applied AI innovation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 440 together. My Department is currently considering potential use cases for the adoption of AI in its work, and a working group has been established to progress this. Limited circumstances in which AI is currently used include summarising text and workshop structuring. All text is reviewed and verified by a human. There are no AI systems in place...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The information that the Deputy has requested is not readily available, my staff are currently collecting and collating this information and I will come back to you as soon as possible.