Results 281-300 of 6,210 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 May 2025)

James Lawless: As an autonomous body with academic and administrative freedom, Maynooth University is responsible for its own policy and programme development, including in relation to the programme the Deputy refers to. I am aware that the Turn to Teaching programme has been on a pilot basis and is part of the PATH 1 initiatives of the National Access Plan and I will be making an announcement regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (14 May 2025)

James Lawless: The purchase of IT equipment for my Department is managed by the Department of Education in the first instance under a Memorandum of Understanding.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 May 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy should note that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous and consequently, the management of their day to day functions, including decisions on courses and academic disciplines, are matters for the individual institution in the context of their governance structures and policies. My Department does not have a role in the monitoring of additional new courses or academic...

Power of Higher Education, Research and Skills as Economic Enablers in a Changing World: Statements (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: I will make an opening statement and then the Chair of the Oireachtas committee, Deputy Erin McGreehan, will speak and the Minister of State, Deputy Marian Harkin, will close the debate at the end. I welcome that we have taken some time in the House today to address one of the most important issues that confronts a Government at any time, but particularly in changing and challenging times...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety of factors including the type of course and the student's access route. The assessment of a student’s application and the determination of the appropriate fee rate is a function of the institution attended. In terms of tuition fee supports, first time students undertaking a full-time undergraduate course may be eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: The Universities Act 1997, Technological Universities Act 2018, and the Institutes of Technology Act 2006 are among the principal legislative instruments governing higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland. These Acts grant HEIs autonomy over their academic and administrative functions, including admissions policies. Most applications to higher education are processed through the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Deputy Kerrane for her question, as well as for the opportunity to update her on the work my Department is doing in this area. Ensuring that individuals have the opportunity to access high-quality construction-related training and upskilling is a key priority for the Department. In recent years, we have significantly expanded the range of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (13 May 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. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Energy Usage (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: My Department operates from three locations, at St Stephen’s Green and Marlborough Street in Dublin (shared with Department of Education), and Tullamore, Co. Offaly (shared with Department of Education and other agencies on the one campus). Preparation work on the restoration and upgrading of the St. Stephen’s Green building has begun by the OPW, with a refurbishment due to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1228, 1227 and 1229 together. Thank you Deputy McGuinness for your question and related SETU questions. I propose to respond to all three PQs 23404/25, 23405/25, and 23406/25 together, related as they are to the work of my Department with SETU. I wish to begin by stating that my Department continues to support SETU, along with all five...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: SETU was the third technological university to complete the CINNTE review process in 2024 as required by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) as part of their review cycle. As an agency of my Department QQI is responsible for the external quality assurance (QA) of higher education. In the case of SETU the review, conducted by an independent team of experts appointed by QQI, has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is fully committed to supporting the continued development of SETU, along with all five Technological Universities, in line with our commitments towards the sector under the Programme for Government. SETU is a particularly vital part of the sector, representing as it does the only university presence in the South East region. SETU is already delivering on its potential as a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency responsible for the external quality assurance of higher education in Ireland. One of QQI’s functions is to monitor and review quality assurance in higher education institutions. CINNTE is the name of the current quality assurance review cycle and it measures institutional accountability with regard to the expectations set...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to thank Deputy Tóibín for his question, as well as for the opportunity to update him on the work my Department is doing in this area. In October 2024, my Department launched the Build Back Home campaign. This was a targeted international social media campaign aimed at Irish construction workers living abroad. It was funded through the 2024 Housing for All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is not aware of any proposal to close or relocate the Saint Vincent’s, Sunday’s Well music department of UCC. My Department has consulted with the Higher Education Authority on the matter; the HEA has confirmed that it also has not received any information regarding a timeline for such a move or any future plans for the music department. UCC is an autonomous...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. In general, for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the awarding authority, SUSI to determine. Under the Student Grant Scheme for full-time courses, income from employment which represents holiday earnings outside of term time (Easter, summer and Christmas holidays) can be deducted when determining the reckonable income of an applicant. The maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: Neither SOLAS nor my department is involved in the setting of wages for apprentices. Apprentices are employees and party to a contract of employment with their employers. For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, the minimum rates of pay applying under the contract of employment are either agreed within the relevant sector or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the development of relevant curriculum, setting international tuition fee rates, and student numbers on individual courses. Tuition fees are subject to change. I understand that international fee rates can vary depending on a variety of factors, including the type of course and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (13 May 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Grant Scheme is a means-tested scheme. The numbers of students undertaking courses relating to micro-credentials who would meet the means tested criteria and other eligibility criteria for SUSI is not held by my Department and therefore I cannot provide an estimate as requested.