Results 61-80 of 7,100 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The student referred to by the Deputy submitted the outstanding document to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) and was issued a letter on 3rd November 2025 advising of an improved grant rate of Part Non-Adjacent Standard Band 4 Rate of Maintenance Grant, together with 100% Student Contribution/Tuition Fees, whichever applies. Students experiencing exceptional financial need may be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: My Department recognises the importance of promoting and expanding the teaching and use of Irish at third level, including to meet workforce needs across various sectors. The Higher Education Authority Act (2022) places a statutory obligation on the HEA to support higher education institutions (HEIs) to teach, promote and use the Irish language. HEIs are autonomous and determine...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1130 and 1131 together. Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the development of relevant curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. Institutions receive funding from a variety of sources, including state grants, competitive funding, tuition fees, and commercial/private...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the development of relevant curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. Institutions receive funding from a variety of sources, including state grants, competitive funding, tuition fees, and commercial/private income streams. Their various income streams contribute to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: An official from my Department has advised that a checklist letter was sent to the student referred to by the Deputy on 25 July 2025, requesting evidence of independent residence that covers 2024 (no later than October) and 2025 (no later than the date of entry to their current course). As listed in the same checklist letter the following documents are accepted by SUSI as evidence of living...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where household income is below a certain threshold. For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents/legal guardian or as independent mature students. A candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy will be aware that Ireland's universities are autonomous institutions. As such, the management of their day-to-day functions, including opportunities to diversify their income streams, are matters for each individual institution. In relation to sources of funding, the position is that income sources can include state grants, research grants and contracts, EU funding, investment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: MTU Kerry have a proposal progressing under the Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund (TSSPF) programme at their Tralee campus. This proiect, along with their project under PPP Bundle 1, which I officially opened last week will facilitate the TU vacating their South Campus buildings. These buildings will in time transfer to Kerry ETB which will facilitate the consolidation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Apprentices are employees and are registered by their employers in the Education and Training Board (ETB) region in which the employer is located, not on a county basis or area of that county. This means the apprentice may not necessarily reside in or be originally from that region. In the case of employers based in Dublin north-west, the apprentices they employ are registered to City of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1139, 1140 and 1141 together. The most recent data available is for the academic year 2024/2025 and is sourced from the HEA. Detailed enrolment data on HEA-funded higher education institutions is available on the HEA's website. The total number of students enrolled at Dublin City University is 19,890 for 2024/2025. This continues an upward trend of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: My department recognises the importance of promoting and expanding the teaching and use of Irish at third level. I have instructed my officials to undertake a programme of work aligned with the objectives of the National Plan for Irish Language Public Services. This includes working with colleagues in relevant Government departments to establish a working group with representatives from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is committed to ensuring that its policies and actions are informed by sound evidence, analysis, and long-term strategic planning. All policy units in my Department contribute to a forward-looking approach through their ongoing engagement with stakeholders, data analysis, and robust policy formation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1144, 1145, 1146, 1147, 1148, 1149 and 1150 together. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) undertook a Section 64 review under the HEA Act 2022 in 2024 in respect of Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). Following this TU Dublin was requested to prepare a financial recovery plan to address concerns raised by the HEA regarding financial reporting,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I can provide the Deputy with the number of students that have been awarded and paid a grant under the Student Grant Scheme for the current academic year. These are students that are attending approved full-time or part-time courses at PLC, undergraduate and postgraduate level in approved institutions. - 2025/26* 2025/26* Grant Rate Band ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1154, 1155, 1156 and 1157 together. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), established under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act, is an independent regulator accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas. Among its functions, the CRU is responsible for the qualifying criteria for the Qualified Certifier (QC) scheme under Safe Electric. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Speak Out allows people to disclose their experiences anonymously of bullying, harassment, assault, and sexual violence – and avail of signposting to support services. It is one of a range of reporting options available in HEIs. I commend our universities and colleges, and the Higher Education Authority, for taking meaningful steps to make higher education a safer place for students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: In general, for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student ifthey have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry or re-entry to an approved further education course...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently announced the details of a Budget 2026 decision to permanently reduce the student contribution charge from €3,000 to €2,500, starting from this academic year. The reduction in the student contribution charge applies to all Free Fees eligible courses and I have secured funding on that basis. Through the Free Fees Initiative, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Assistance Fund is administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of my Department. The HEA determine the allocations for each higher education institution in accordance with agreed procedures / guidelines relating to the fund. Please see the attached document for the total amount of Student Assistance Fund for the academic years 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Work Supports (12 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: By way of background for the Deputy, Youthreach provides a two-year education and training pathway for young people who have left mainstream education with limited qualifications. The programme supports learners in gaining the skills, knowledge, and confidence to progress to further education, training, or employment. Certification is typically achieved at Levels 3 and 4 on the National...