Results 461-480 of 6,513 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (27 May 2025)

James Lawless: Technological University Dublin's (TU Dublin) audited financial statements for the 2022/2023 academic year ending 31/08/2023 were signed by the C&AG on 23rd December 2024 and showed a deficit of €8.4m for 2022/23 with a deficit in the prior period of account of €3.8m. TU Dublin's financial statements for the most recent academic year 2023/24 are yet to be received by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (27 May 2025)

James Lawless: The issue of a bad debt provision was raised in the financial statements of Atlantic Technological University (ATU) for the year ending 31st August 2023. The financial statements disclosed that the University provided for a bad debt of €371,000, in relation to patents and license fees due from a company in which it had a minority shareholding and which has subsequently gone into...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 May 2025)

James Lawless: Louth Meath ETB (LMETB) is currently being supported by SOLAS in developing its Preliminary Business Case (PBC) proposal for Dunboyne under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund and have met as recently as this month. The proposal put forward by LMETB relates to the development of a new fit for purpose facility on a green field site in Dunboyne, to replace the existing rented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (27 May 2025)

James Lawless: Officials in my department contacted the CAO with this query and were advised by the CAO that every year, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) inform the CAO of the courses that they wish to include in the CAO Handbook for the upcoming application season. For the 2026 application season, the final deadline for courses to be finalised for the printed version of the handbook is 13 June, 2025....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (27 May 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 901 and 902 together. SOLAS is proactively engaging with Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) to address the provision needs of the region via a pipeline of capital projects that are already progressing through existing appraisal and approval processes. SOLAS has advised my Department that the requirement for additional capacity in the vicinity of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing advocacy for this group and we have talked about it on a number of occasions already. I know he may be a little sceptical of interdepartmental reviews and the rest of it, but the last one made significant progress. Anyone would acknowledge that a 42% pay increase is a pretty substantial one. Certainly progress has been made but I acknowledge that elements...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy and acknowledge his continuing interest in this area and in the matter he referred to at the end of his question. More generally, at the outset, supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a critical national priority. It is something I have been very much engaged in since I took up my role, as were my predecessors. The Minister of State,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: As acknowledged regarding PATH 4, I did commit almost €3 million in additional funding just this week towards that funding. I also intend to initiate a disability demonstration project, which will inform the development of the new policy framework for more flexible and responsive tailored supports for those students and their educational journey. A great deal of work is being done. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research and Development (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for his question and his kind words. I look forward to working with him to deliver for Kildare North and the country as we work together in this House and elsewhere. I know he is spokesperson for a related area as well. I want to acknowledge that and support him in his work. The plan to modernise research equipment is a topic close to my heart. It is something that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research and Development (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I entirely agree with the Deputy regarding the economic headwinds he referred to in his supplementary question. Part of our competitive offering is that we have such a strong talent base, we invest in education and we invest in research and innovation. Later today, I will travel to Brussels to attend a research council with European Council colleagues and ministers in related briefs...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research and Development (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy mentioned the IUA paper published in March. I actually appointed the IUA to my working group and it is actually actively involved in it already. It is an excellent organisation and it is worthwhile to have it in the room for these discussions. The other thing I will say about the programme as I currently envisage it and through my work with the expert group is that it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I know the Deputy's commitment to North Kildare and to our shared constituency. I agree that education is absolutely a core part of that. Education, talent, skills and investment in people is the core of our success economically as well. That is why we, as a nation, have achieved everything we have. It is because of our investment in education from the early days of the State. It is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I totally agree. I will raise some of the progress we have made in recent years and which is continuing again this year, from this September. On the cost of education, the threshold is one part of it, and an important one. The SUSI grant system is one part also. There are other factors such as student accommodation, which I am working on. I hope to publish a strategy on student...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for his continuing interest in the Cavan project as well as others. More generally, on the Department's capital ceiling over the last period there is a dedicated capital envelope, which the Deputy referred to, that amounted to €300 million for the further education and training sector, FET. Available funding has increased again from a low base of €6...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I absolutely know it will be put to very good use. It is a fantastic and very exciting project and it is great to hear the history of that building, and indeed of the project and further education in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I thank the Deputy for the invitation to visit. I will certainly put that in my diary and will get there in due course. I would like to see it for myself. You cannot...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I agree with the Deputy and I thank him for those points on access to the system for those who maybe would not have had that given they were coming from backgrounds where traditionally education or higher education was not a feature. The further education sector has been so progressive and has led so much in making education accessible to so many more families in a community setting and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I mentioned some of the places we have provided and we intend to provide further places in these areas. There are also agreements regarding healthcare provision with Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast resulting in a further 389 places over the last two years. I visited Queen's University Belfast over the Easter break and met the president, Ian Greer. I also met some of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I thank Deputy Connolly for his support in my visit to Galway last week. He is a great advocate for the college and works closely with the team. I believe he is a former student. That was a very good engagement. I agree with both Deputies on the real need to examine all options and all levers at our disposal to increase the number of disability workers. These include Springboard. I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for the question. I am committed to increasing the supports available to students and to addressing the costs of education for students and their families progressively over this year and the coming years for as long as I am privileged to serve in this office. It is important to say that all proposals made regarding education expenditure, including student grants,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (22 May 2025)

James Lawless: There were a couple of options raised and I will try to come back to the Deputy on each of them. Career guidance and counselling is something I tend to very much support and I am keen to increase the provision of it. As we know, it is extremely difficult for students, typically at a young age, to make choices that may have implications for their entire life journey after that. There is...