Results 761-780 of 11,765 for speaker:Niall Collins

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: Supplementary Estimates only deal with the here and now in-year-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: The best answer I can give the Acting Chair is this would be of a commitment of resources and a permanent change in approach. It is something everybody probably wants to see, but it is being funded in the last number of years and in the here and now as a temporary measure. We have to get ourselves into a position where resources will allow for a permanent reduction and phasing out of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: I cannot say here and now. I do not think anybody can say here and now. It is something that would have to be considered as part of the budgetary process. That process is internal within a Department. Sections within each Department compete for available resources. The Department and the Minister and Ministers of State sit down with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: At the end of October there were 5,514 apprentices who had been waiting more than six months to access their off-the-job training. Some 5,319 were at phase 2 and the remainder were at phases 4 or 6. Through budget 2024 there has been an additional €67 million allocated to the whole area of apprenticeships. It is our target, as the Acting Chair knows and has heard us say before, to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: I will give a little bit of further context. Our core funding for the apprenticeship space has increased from a number of €172 million in 2021 to over €254 million in the year 2024. That is a 47.5% increase when those years are compared, so significant money is going into this.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: The Acting Chair's points about addressing the backlog are well made. It is not abating. As a result, we set up an emergency group that consisted of SOLAS, the National Apprenticeship Office and representatives of our education and training boards and of course staff organisations. It is chaired by the Department. The group is working to ensure the delivery of the required additional...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: We do. The resources are being made available to it. It is about providing the capacity. Capacity takes a while to build no matter what you are doing. I think the Acting Chair will appreciate that. Once the capacity is there, the resources are there to deal with it. It is our intention to have it addressed comprehensively.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: Previous to the budget, the Cabinet and Government took a decision that basically the market needed a Government intervention. The Acting Chair will be aware of that. That policy decision has been taken and it is welcome. Our Department last year provided €61 million to intervene across four higher education institutions to provide about 1,000 beds - DCU, Maynooth, the University of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: That will also include standardised design, which is something the Acting Chair and I would both know in respect of national schools and secondary schools, which we lobby for in our constituencies. There is much standardisation of design by the Department of Education building unit, which has been quite successful in earlier delivery and cost control, which is important. Part of the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: Which number?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: The €61 million.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: That is with the Housing Finance Agency. It is a policy that is being worked on to provide a low-cost funding facility, which will probably kick in when the strategy that I just spoke about - particularly across our TUs - is agreed in respect of the funding of the purpose-built student accommodation. What the Acting Chair just referred to will be one avenue of finance that will be available...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: It is a low-cost facility that will become available. I am advised the strategy will be finalised in quarter 1 of next year.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: Once the strategy is developed, agreed and settled upon, the schemes will flow from that. I do not have a timeline. The strategy will be agreed in quarter 1 and once it is agreed, the scheme has to be developed.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: I will give the Acting Chair three numbers to be helpful to the meeting. In regard to on-site and in development purpose-built student accommodation, there are currently 3,040 bed spaces. The private sector is presently delivering, in construction, 3,983 bed spaces. I mentioned digs accommodation earlier. The number of beds offered through digs in July was 1,225. This increased by more...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: The NTF surplus is part of the calculus for Government in terms of living within the 6.1% parameters. That is an issue, as the Acting Chair knows. It is something that has to be worked out at a higher level. The €3.8 million was a once-off supplementary to address what the Acting Chair has spoken about. In his budget speech the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, signalled his intention to...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: Okay.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Correspondence (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: 123. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he can address the issue raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52275/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (28 Nov 2023)

Niall Collins: As the Deputy will be aware, plans to spend the significant and growing surplus in the National Training Fund must be considered within the context of the Government’s overall budgetary policy.Any increase in NTF expenditure, all other things being equal and without a corresponding reduction on the Vote, requires an increase in my Department’s and the overall Government...