Results 61-80 of 6,337 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department provides funding from the National Training Fund (NTF) to support the Training Grants to Industry scheme, delivered through Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. The scheme enables businesses to respond to evolving workforce development needs through upskilling and reskilling initiatives. In 2025, €3.5 million from the NTF is allocated to Enterprise Ireland for management...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Funded by the National Training Fund (NTF) and managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of my Department, Springboard provides free or heavily subsidised upskilling and reskilling opportunities and builds the supply of skilled graduates to meet the evolving needs of the Irish economy. The 2025 allocation provides €27.55 million to improve the skills of those currently in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services 2025 and the allocations under my Department’s B4 subhead. The B4 subhead is used to fund current activities in higher education institutions. The provision of higher education funding on an annual basis, is part of overall expenditure management and budgetary policy of the Government. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Deputy, the variance from 2024 to 2025 you have outlined has arisen under the 2025 Estimates process. As part of the annual Estimates process, each expenditure line within my Department is critically evaluated, in collaboration with key stakeholders and colleagues in the Department of Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, to ensure appropriate and sufficient...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Deputy, the variance from 2024 to 2025 you have outlined has arisen under the 2025 Estimates process. As part of the annual Estimates process, each expenditure line within my Department is critically evaluated, in collaboration with key stakeholders and colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, to ensure appropriate and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The most recent full-time student enrolment data from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) confirms a continued upward trend in participation in higher education. In 2023/2024, there were 202,450 full-time students enrolled (excluding National College of Ireland, newly included in HEA figures from this year), up from 198,970 in 2022/2023. When all modes of study are included, the figures for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: In the 2023/2024 academic year, there were 40,400 International Students enrolled in publicly funded Irish Higher Education Institutions. The proportion of this cohort in the overall student body is set out in tabular form below: As a Percentage of All Full Time Students 17.12% As a Percentage of Full Time Undergraduate Students 10.98% ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Springboard+, established in 2011 continues to play a vital role in expanding access to higher education by offering flexible, work focused learning opportunities to adult learners across the country. Aligned with national skills priorities, Springboard+ supports individuals to upskill or reskill in high-demand areas such as ICT, cybersecurity and sustainability. Springboard+ is free or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department does not collate data on the number of students studying English language courses in Ireland. English Education Ireland (EEI) is the largest association of English language schools in Ireland, representing 63 member schools. According to EEI’s Annual Report on English Language Training in Ireland 2024, 128,761 international students from 125 countries chose to study in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Deputy, the variance from 2024 to 2025 you have outlined has arisen under the 2025 Estimates process. As part of the annual Estimates process, each expenditure line within my Department is critically evaluated, in collaboration with key stakeholders and colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, to ensure appropriate and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department has not sought external public relations assistance at any time since its establishment. The information in respect of the state 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 contact them directly with her query. Contact E-Mail...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: International Students (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Currently, the number of students from Peru studying in Ireland's higher education institutions is very low, around 10 in total. Consequently, Education in Ireland, which promotes higher education internationally on behalf of my Department, does not currently include Peru among the priority countries where it is focussing its attention. Nevertheless, potential students have access to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The student referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the Independent Student Grant Appeals Board (the Board) on the 8th June 2025. The appeal is due to be considered by the Board on or before the 7th August 2025. The determination of the Board will be communicated directly to the student.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Artificial Intelligence (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I understand the Deputy's question refers to one of the independent policy recommendation from the European Commission's Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) published in April 2024 on how to facilitate the uptake of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research and innovation across the EU. As set out below, it relates to the work of the European Commission at European level rather than to my area...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Judicial Reviews (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My officials are collating the information requested and will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department was established in 2020 under the title: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. To date, since establishment, there has been no renaming or rebranding of the Department.

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

James Lawless: The number of Springboard courses delivered by further and higher education institutes nationwide for the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form, is set out at the link below. Please note, as some course proposals are submitted by a consortium and are delivered across more than one Higher Education Institution, these are recorded as a course for each separate Higher Education Institution,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (12 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: A total of €330 was spent by my Department in 2024 in respect of three of my Department's officials partaking in external training relating to appearances as witness at Oireachtas committees. The training was provided by One Learning and the titles of the trainings are as follows:Preparing to Appear as a Witness in front of Oireachtas Committees.Preparing your colleagues to appear at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (12 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The current and capital funding allocation for Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland from the establishment of the agency on the 1st of August 2024 to year end, and for 2025, is set out in the table below. These figures include the provision of supplementary funds of just over €1m towards the amalgamation process which established the new organisation. The capital funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Meetings (12 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I have engaged extensively with my Department's Management Board since my appointment as Minister and look forward to our first Ministerial Management Board meeting which will take place in the coming weeks.