Results 41-60 of 7,125 for speaker:James Lawless

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Yes. Certainly, if we look at the income distribution of the ESRI charts, it is hard to quantify it exactly. If we take the income distribution curve from the ESRI and we look at where fee supports fall and thresholds continue to increase, including this year in the new budget, 20% are falling outside of that. This means that 80% of people receive either full or some form of fee support,...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: We do not, unfortunately. It is something I would like to get. We are working on it.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: None of it, actually, because this money is only for SUSI. In the context of the wider budget, a significant proportion is being used to pay fees. However, this Supplementary Estimate is all geared towards SUSI.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Exactly. I have commissioned a piece of work on the impact of various interventions. There are many different things we can do. For example, we can increase grants, including the non-adjacent and adjacent grants, and the thresholds, and we can reduce fees. Before we set about doing them collectively as an Oireachtas, it is important to understand what the policy outcome of various...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Forgive me Deputy, which graduates?

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Is this PhD stipends?

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: This is not unique to TUs. It depends on who the funder is. PhD students can apply to Research Ireland or other funding agencies. The Research Ireland stipends are €25,000, and that includes a significant rise of 31%. These are the ones I control directly. There are other funding agencies that may not have made this move. Ultimately, it depends on what course a student is on and...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I do, but what does Deputy suggest I do about it?

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Any student pursuing PhD funded by Research Ireland, which is the State funding agency for research, will receive a stipend of €25,000. There are other funding groups and funding vehicles that do not fall under the direct control of the Department. I suppose they have their own rules and schemes. There are many different schemes out there. The Research Ireland scheme is the one for...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: There are many other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Health Research Board, which may commission PhDs and have PhD students coming under them. They do not come under the remit of my Department, so I afraid they are outside my control.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The first point the Deputy raised relates to the number of nursing hours required at one of the centres he visited being doubled by QQI. Which centre is that?

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I invite Deputy Crowe to send me a note on this and I will pick it up with him offline. I am not familiar with what is involved. It is not part of the Supplementary Estimate, but I am quite happy to engage with him on it. It is a new one on me and my officials. We will have to find out more about it and drill into it a little bit to see what the situation is there. QQI has a degree of...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The €22 million is to see this out. It is to fund a number of students, many of whom would have been at leaving certificate level this year taking examinations and who had an understanding they would be sponsored through their education and eligible for various support. A decision was taken that those people had a legitimate expectation and that should be honoured and it would be...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: We have a largely high level breakdown. Part of this has the objective of meeting our disability challenge to assist in providing a higher number of therapists and professionals that can assist with healthcare and disability needs. Across that we have 463 additional places in health and social care disciplines such as therapies, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 368, 369 and 372 together. Inclusiveness is a key goal in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, with specific initiatives to support under-represented groups such as Travellers. The Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme (TAIP) was established in 2023 and is administered by the Irish Traveller Movement. It is funded by the Dormant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: As discussed with the Deputy, this question presented does not fall under the remit of DFHERIS.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Department officials have contacted the Deputy’s office directly who advised that this would be a matter for the Department of Education and Youth.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 373, 374 and 375 together. Apprenticeships provide the opportunity for individuals to join the workforce as employees from day one of their chosen programme. Completing the programme provides a respected qualification and hands-on experience in their chosen field, creating a strong foundation for a rewarding career. It’s important to ensure these...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: There are 78 national apprenticeship programmes, delivering qualifications from Level 5 to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). These include: 25 craft apprenticeships, supporting key national priorities such as Housing for All and 53 consortia-led programmes, developed in partnership with industry to address evolving skills needs. A total of 26 apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Currently, 14 apprenticeship programmes require candidates to pass the Ishihara colour vision test, a standard diagnostic test for colour vision deficiency (CVD), before starting training. This has been the case throughout the lifetime of the standards-based apprenticeship approach, which was introduced in the 1990s. There is currently no exemption from this requirement, as all...