Results 81-100 of 6,337 for speaker:James Lawless

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

James Lawless: I have met with representatives from SOLAS, HEA, Taighde Eireann, and Skillnet. Next week I am meeting with QQI and I plan to meet with Leargas, and the Grangegorman Development Agency in the coming months. I am looking forward to continuing my engagement with all my Department's aegis bodies to advance my Department's priorities.

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

James Lawless: I have met with representatives of the following institutions: Trinity College Dublin, South East Technological University, Atlantic Technological University, Munster Technological University, University College Cork, Maynooth University, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, University of Limerick, University of Galway, Technological University of the Shannon, Institute of Art...

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

James Lawless: Government remains committed to increasing the profile of apprenticeships and to achieve 12,500 apprenticeship registrations by 2030 with two-thirds in craft/construction. Significant investment has been made into growing the apprenticeship system, including €67 million in Budget 2024 and €77 million in Budget 2025, with the latter figure representing the single biggest...

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

James Lawless: A total of six staff members from my Department make up a project team which has been tasked with overseeing the administration of the Periodic Critical Review (PCR) of SOLAS. The staff members come from two units within the Department - the Organisation Development and Operations unit (Corporate), and the Further Education and Training unit, with responsibility for governance, policy and...

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

James Lawless: A synopsis of each of the 10 steps of National Apprenticeship Office’s process for the development of new apprenticeships is set out below. It should be noted that the 10 steps involved in developing a new national apprenticeship programme do not need to be linear and may be taken in parallel. More detailed information can be found on the NAO website:...

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

James Lawless: The Action Plan for Apprenticeship envisages the migration of craft apprenticeships into the newer consortia-led delivery model leading to an integrated apprenticeship system and I intend to bring a plan to Government on the steps to achieve this aim. €4m in funding was provided in 2025 to support the development of the integrated system and a new quality assurance framework. This...

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

James Lawless: A key pillar in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 - 2025 is to ensure that apprenticeships are recognised and valued across all sectors, promoting them as a vital method for building upon existing and supporting emerging skills needs now and into the future. There are 10 steps involved in developing a national apprenticeship. These steps are not linear and a number may be taken in...

Proposed Approval of the Agreement Between the European Organization for Nuclear Research and Ireland: Motion (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Dála a labhair sa díospóireacht seo. It has been a worthwhile debate. I welcome the support for the motion from across the House. What is rare is wonderful. We do not see such agreement often but, when we do, it is something to celebrate. I thank the Deputies on all sides of the Chamber who contributed. I acknowledge the...

Proposed Approval of the Agreement Between the European Organization for Nuclear Research and Ireland: Motion (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of: (i) the Agreement between the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and Ireland concerning the Granting of the Status of Associate Member State of CERN, signed at Geneva on 8th May, 2025, and (ii) the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, copies of which were...

Proposed Approval of the Agreement Between the European Organization for Nuclear Research and Ireland: Motion (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The business is an hour ahead of schedule.

Proposed Approval of the Agreement Between the European Organization for Nuclear Research and Ireland: Motion (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Established in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, is an intergovernmental organisation that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. It is headquartered in Geneva and currently comprises 24 member states and ten associate member states. Associate membership of CERN is a commitment in the programme for Government and a long-standing...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: It is a pleasure to be with the committee today and I look forward to working with the members. I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on her appointment as chair of this very important committee and all the members who have been appointed to serve on it. I spent many years in your chair until quite recently, a Chathaoirligh, so I know just how important these engagements are. Early engagement...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for his comments and recently hosting me in Galway recently. On further course provision and the national imperative, I welcome the University of Galway's new pharmacy programme that we launched that day. There is also a rural GP programme that starts next year, which is critical. Having seen a paucity of rural GPs in my constituency, I welcome the initiative shown by...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. I also thank her for coming to see me in Limerick where we had a productive day across multiple sites, both across the education and training board and the university. The successful roll-out of the biopharma course took place on that day.

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: That is really good to see. It is exactly the kind of industry collaboration that is central, particularly in that area where there is great strength from some of those companies represented on that day. There are a couple of points to address. With regard to student accommodation fees, a multipronged approach is being taken. That means we are doing a number of different things in...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I thank Deputy Feighan. I agree with him that St. Angela’s College is a wonderful site. I enjoyed my visit to it. I was really impressed at its activities. It is a wonderful site with its vista of the lakes and the actual point in the landscape it enjoys. Its provision is also wonderful. Councillor Edel McSharry, whom the Deputy knows from other fields, heads up the nursing team...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Senator for her continued interest in and advocacy for the sector. I very much acknowledge that. She raised a number of issues and I will try to run through them. Starting with student accommodation and housing, this is a challenging area and one I am very much aware of and intend to address. The strategy should be available by the end of the summer, certainly by the end of...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Senator for leading a recent motion in the Seanad in this area. It was a very useful engagement as well. All of these initial engagements with the committee, the Seanad and the Dáil are really helpful, certainly to me as Minister, to understand the interests of members and generate detailed discussion of areas of my brief. The Senator has raised a number of items today....

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Engagement with Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (11 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Yes. Indeed, the programme for Government commits to parity of esteem across different aspects of the TUs, including very much MTU. I will visit very soon. The point the Senator made on wages for apprentices is a difficult one. The Senator, quite legitimately, said that he would like student apprentices to be paid a higher wage. Recently I was in a room with employers who said that the...