Results 181-200 of 7,100 for speaker:James Lawless

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Education and Training Provision (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I will share some of the processes that are under way under the ETBI's direction. The new operational guidelines should encompass at least but not limited to the following objectives. They should simplify the grant management relationship between ETB and third-party providers. It is complex. One thing I have learned in this role is that particularly the further education landscape is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Education and Training Provision (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: There is always a degree of autonomy within the educational landscape, be it further or higher education. The Minister of State did correspond with the Department and the relevant bodies in terms of pay scales and around community training centres and youth reach centres, but the Department is not the employer. There is a remove. There can be several stages in that remove. It is not...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Is the Deputy subbing for Deputy Kenny?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: No, I know the difference between Wexford and Kilkenny very well and all too well from suffering at their hands for many years in Leinster finals.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I am a strong supporter of this project as I think and hope the Deputy and other Wexford stakeholder know. I share ambition of the region and Wexford town, in particular, to develop a customised significant third level campus in Wexford town. The educational needs, level of educational attainment, industrial base and the demographics all support that strongly. I am very much on board with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: SETU, in terms of technological universities, has received significant support from my Department. Most recently both Waterford and Carlow were included in bundle two of the PPP projects delivering significant additional learning spaces and physical buildings. The Deputy and I want Wexford to benefit from the same. The next stage of the process is for the notice of entry to enter onto the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Education and Training Provision (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for her ongoing interest in the further and higher education sectors. The Deputy is right there is a need to revisit some of the operational parameters of the LTIs. LTIs are community-based training programmes designed to support individuals who face economic, social or educational disadvantage. This is incredibly important work. The training programmes offered are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: There are approximately 49,000 purpose-built student accommodation beds nationally. About two-thirds in private ownership, while our higher education institutions provide more than 15,600 beds. This includes 4,187 beds at UCD, 2,934 at the University of Limerick, around 1,850 each at Trinity College and the University of Galway and a further 3,000 beds between DCU and UCC. Maynooth...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I will publish a new long term student accommodation strategy (2025-2035) later this year, which aims to increase the supply of student accommodation beds. It will include viability measures to support the development of new accommodation without any additional recourse to the private rental market and affordability supports for priority groups identified under the National Access Plan. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I can confirm to the Deputy that a proposal from Cavan and Monaghan ETB is currently being progressed under my department’s Further Education & Training (FET) College of the Future Major Projects Fund. The proposal has been successful in moving forward to the Pre-tender, Project Design, Planning and Procurement Strategy stage in line with the requirements of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: As part of Budget 2026, I am introducing a permanent reduction of €500 in the Student Contribution charge. This flat rate reduction will reduce the rate from €3,000 to €2,500. This is the first permanent cut since free fees were introduced in 1995. It will benefit around 108,000 undergraduate students and 14,000 apprentices, who will see up to a 17% pro-rata reduction. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I am pleased to update the Deputy that 12 major capital projects are currently being progressed by my department under the Further Education & Training (FET) College of the Future Major Projects Fund. This key capital investment programme was launched with the objective of addressing deficits in current FET infrastructure. These projects will support the reform of the FET sector...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My Department recognises the critical importance of promoting and expanding the teaching and use of Irish at third level. The Higher Education Act (2022) places an obligation on the HEA to support HEIs to teach, promote and use the language. To that end, my department supports higher education institutions, via the HEA, through the provision of core funding, and specific funding to support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My Department remains committed to the continuation of the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme. In March 2024, the US-Ireland Alliance paused the recruitment of US scholars onto the programme. In March 2025, this pause in recruitment into the programme was extended for a further year. My Department was advised by the President of the US-Ireland Alliance that the Alliance had...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I recognise that access to accurate, accessible, and impartial career guidance is critical to supporting learners as they plan their education and career pathways. In addition, it should be noted that career guidance counselling at second level is also key, and this is under the remit of my colleague, Minister McEntee. Building on the findings of the Indecon Review of Career Guidance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My Department has actively invested to enhance research activities in the area of artificial intelligence. Recently, following an international competitive process, an Irish AI Antenna factory has been awarded €5 million in European funding, a figure that will be evenly matched by my department’s funding. The AI Factory Antenna will link directly to leading AI hubs in France...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2026 (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Thank you, Deputy, for this important question. My Department and I are committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities in line with the Programme for Government. The Fund for Students with Disabilities has been a key initiative to provide students with disabilities with the necessary support and equipment to participate in Post-Leaving Certificate courses on an equal basis...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a key priority of mine, my Department and for Government. Good progress is being made as part of the National Access Plan (NAP) to increase new entrants to higher education institutions with a disability. The latest figures available to the Department show this figure has increased to 14.7% for the 2023/2024...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is a very important element of the range of supports and interventions in place to support students and their families. The core funding allocation for this vital Fund continues to be monitored, with respect to demand. Alongside the support provided through the SAF, I have made a range of other targeted improvements to schemes which assist students and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (16 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My officials and I are working closely with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to realise our collective ambition for the delivery of Higher Education across the country. Rather than operating from an institution-specific annual distribution, capital projects across the Higher Education sector are identified through competitive programmes and processes, with successful projects progressing...