Results 541-560 of 11,766 for speaker:Niall Collins

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (6 Mar 2024)

Niall Collins: 97. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter regarding SET hours (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11051/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Administration (6 Mar 2024)

Niall Collins: 98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the sanction of a roll number for Glenroe national school in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11052/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (5 Mar 2024)

Niall Collins: 171. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when Moyross rail station will be opened and operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10329/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (5 Mar 2024)

Niall Collins: 172. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide the list of new rail stations to be opened under the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy; when works will commence on each; when each will be opened and operational, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10330/24]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Niall Collins: 500. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on an application and-or appeal (details supplied); if this can be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10690/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (29 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: 251. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9836/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (29 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: The breakdown of craft apprentice instructors by craft apprenticeship type is not currently held by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (28 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: Financial challenges can be a key barrier to employer participation in apprenticeship. An annual grant of €2,000 is provided for employers who employ apprentices in consortia led apprenticeships that have been established since 2016 and which do not attract payment of off-the-job training allowances. This means that employers with apprentices on two-year programmes are eligible for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (28 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: SOLAS is undertaking an independent evaluation of the ‘Specialist Training Provision for People with Disabilities’ programme. Under this programme, the 16 Education and Training Boards contract Specialist Training Providers (STPs) to offer vocational training programmes, in specific settings, for persons with disabilities. The basis for this provision is that some people with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (28 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: Specialist Training Providers (STPs) are significant partners in assisting us address the identified training needs of people with disabilities who are experiencing exclusion and labour market disadvantage in the form of vocational training programmes. The National Learning Network (NLN) is the largest STP and is a key stakeholder under the FET Strategy. The NLN delivers personalised...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Traveller Education (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: We will get the Deputy all of what he has looked for after this session. There were 113 applicants, 86 of whom were male and 17 were female. A total of 70 of the applicants had completed their junior certificate and 40% of the applicants had their leaving certificate completed. In terms of the apprenticeship types, approximately 21 were in construction, 16 in electrical, two in engineering...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: I thank Deputy Stanton. One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeships, apprenticeships for all, is to ensure the profile of the apprenticeship population better reflects our general population. The plan promotes access, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeships and offers targeted supports to participants from underrepresented and socioeconomically...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: I do not have the figure to hand right now but we will get back to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Traveller Education (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy for his question. The action plan for apprenticeships, which runs from 2021 to 2025 promotes access, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeships by offering targeted supports to encourage participation from under-represented groups such as the Traveller community. One of the plan's main objectives is apprenticeship for all to ensure that the apprenticeship population...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Traveller Education (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: The Traveller apprenticeship incentive programme is funded under the Dormant Accounts Fund scheme. The programme is aimed at increasing the uptake of and retention of apprenticeships. The programme is structured across three streams: a €3,000 bursary for each 20 Travellers who are employed as new apprentices; a €2,000 incentive payment to each of their employers; and each of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy for her question. We have a singular focus on securing sustained reductions in waiting times for apprenticeship training. There has been a significant reduction in the number of apprentices waiting longer than six months for their off-the-job training. The backlog stood at 3,817 in January 2024. It was as high as 5,212 in in August 2023. The progress achieved results...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: It is important to bear in mind that normal waiting times for off-the-job training range from three to six months. That needs to be factored in. At the end of January, there were 8,967 apprentices waiting for training. That included a figure of 3,817 who had waited more than six months. The numbers waiting have significantly reduced from a peak of almost 12,000 apprentices in August 2021....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: We do not feel that is an issue. It has not been flagged to me, but we will look at it based on what the Deputy has said here today. As the Deputy knows, the national development plan, Housing for All and our climate action responsibilities and targets are a huge focus for all of us. We put significant resources into building our capacity to address the backlog which, as we know, was all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: As highlighted in the OECD Review there is a substantial provision of lifelong learning opportunities across all of the tertiary education system offered, for example, through such initiatives as Springboard+, the Human Capital Initiative, Skills to Advance and the work of Skillnet Ireland. The OECD Review confirmed that although Ireland’s lifelong learning performance exceeds EU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (27 Feb 2024)

Niall Collins: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 48 together. A proposal issued to staff representatives last year to establish a new grade of adult educator, with a standardised pay scale aligned with the Youthreach Resource person scale. This grade will apply to tutors employed in ETBs to deliver FET programmes, who are currently employed under a variety of terms and conditions. The provision of...