Results 341-360 of 5,794 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: Apprentices are employees and all of the 77 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, the minimum rates of pay applying under the employment contract are either agreed within the relevant sector, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court. These minimum rates vary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: Funding for National Apprenticeship programmes is determined through the annual Estimates process, led by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. As part of Budget 2023, 2024 and 2025 a cost-of-living package for students was announced to include of a once-off reduction of up to 33% in the contribution fee for apprentices. In the academic year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: My Department continues to prioritise investing in apprenticeship training capacity to meet strong demand for craft apprentices by employers as a result of our buoyant economy. Significant investment of €67 million in Budget 2024 and €77 million in Budget 2025 has been allocated to apprenticeship to support growing training capacity. This investment has enabled a 46%...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: Green and sustainability-focused skills are essential for meeting the ambitious climate targets set out by the Government in the Climate Action Plan and for the green transition. My Department has been working with the tertiary sector to develop the green skills required to achieve these goals, ensuring the future workforce is equipped with the skills required to support the green transition...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to thank Deputy McGettigan for her question. Although the Adult Literacy for Life strategy is not specifically mentioned in Programme for Government, this does not diminish our commitment to addressing unmet literacy and numeracy needs. It is one of the strategic priorities of my department for 2025 to make education accessible for everyone and tackle adult literacy issues,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Childcare Qualifications (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the State Agency responsible for maintaining the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), operates NARIC Ireland – the National Academic Recognition Information Centre. NARIC Ireland provides advice on the academic recognition of a foreign qualification by comparing it, where possible, to a major award type and level on the NFQ. The Higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I can confirm that since the formation of my Department it has no record of receiving any funding from the United States of America International Development (USAID). The information in respect of aegis bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document, should the Deputy wish to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I can confirm to the Deputy that I met the CEO and Chairperson of SOLAS on 6th February.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: The gender breakdown of my Department in respect of Principal Officers, Assistant Secretaries and Secretaries General is set out in the table below. The information provided is as per Departmental records which categorise staff as male or female. Grade Male Female Total Secretary General 1 0 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: My Department has not been made aware of any plans to develop a further education and training centre in Ballyhaunis. SOLAS and Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB (MSLETB) have both confirmed that no application in respect of a proposed development of this nature was submitted for consideration to my Department in 2021 or thereafter. Ballyhaunis is not identified in MSLETB’s recently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 863 and 866 together. For student grants 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 be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: In 2023 funding was approved to assist the Technological Universities (TUs) in developing a student accommodation programme based on regional needs and feasibility assessments. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) appointed consultants to oversee and assess the levels of supply and demand for student accommodation across our public higher education institutions (HEIs). The intention of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: Increasing the supply of student accommodation is a priority for me and this Government. The objective of the new Strategy is to increase the supply of student accommodation, reduce the cost of delivery by developing standardised design guidance, promote efficient use of existing building stock through refurbishment and an examination of vacancy, while supporting balanced regional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to thank the Deputy for her question relating to empty buildings in my Department’s portfolio. In response to your question, I can confirm that my department does not own any buildings or properties and therefore has no further information to provide. I hope this clarifies this matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I would like to thank the Deputy for her question relating to undeveloped sites in my Department’s portfolio. In response to your question, I can confirm that my department does not own any sites and therefore has no further information to provide. I hope this clarifies this matter for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: My officials are engaging with SOLAS in relation to compiling the information sought regarding Therapy Assistant Grade provision in 2024. This information will be forwarded to the Deputy upon completion.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (18 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: My Department works closely with colleagues in the Department of Education under the terms of an agreed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the provision and support of IT systems by the Department of Education on behalf of both Departments. My Department will continue to work with colleagues in the Department of Education and follow guidance issued by the National Cyber Security...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: The list of the companies was in English, was it not?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (12 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: The REITs were in English.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (12 Feb 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 297 together. As the Deputy is aware, Youthreach is designed to offer second-chance education to young people who are aged 16 to 20 and have either left school early or are at risk of not completing their formal education. It is designed to provide a more flexible, supportive, and alternative learning environment compared to post-primary schools,...