Results 81-100 of 6,887 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Budget 2025 saw a significant increase in income thresholds effective from 1st September 2025:The special rate of Maintenance Threshold increased from €26,200 to €27,400 in line with Social Welfare Increases.All standard rate Maintenance Thresholds, the Part-Time Fee Scheme threshold and the Student Contribution Thresholds increased by 15%;The Postgraduate Student Contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The main form of financial assistance available to higher education students is the Student Grant Scheme which is administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). My Department does however recognise the need to offer support for more flexible forms of learning and last year, for the first time, a new Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses was introduced to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Oct 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. It continues to play a role in increasing the rate of engagement in lifelong learning, reskilling those whose occupation may be at risk from technological advancement and the development of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Springboard+ 2025 was launched in May and is providing almost 8,000 places on 249 courses, including part-time Micro-credentials and full-time ICT Skills Conversion courses. Information and Communication Technologies continues to be a critical skills area for the programme with over 1,450 places on 50 courses funded for the 2025/26 academic year. Of these 395 places are on courses in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: In order to address the increasing challenge of unpredictable shifts in the workplace, I want to ensure that opportunities and pathways are visible and flexible and align with the needs of enterprise. My Department works with our stakeholders through key partnership platforms, the National Skills Council, and Regional Skills Fora, to embed lifelong learning and shape a system that enables...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I am delighted to inform the Deputy that I am bringing a Memorandum to Government the week commencing 6th of October seeking approval to publish the National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025. Subject to Government approval, the Bill is scheduled for publication on 11th of October. In line with standard legislative procedure, a mandatory two-week review period will follow publication...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: For more than twenty years, the National Training Fund (NTF) has played a key role in Ireland’s workforce transformation, upskilling employees, preparing jobseekers, and supporting lifelong learning. Budget 2025 delivered a significant investment through the NTF Funding Package, allocating an additional €1.485 billion to the tertiary education sector over six years from 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: For the first time, the State is investing in student accommodation to help address the sector’s viability and housing shortage. Under my Department's Short-Term Activation Programme (STAP) €100 million in capital funding has been approved to support stalled university accommodation projects. I officially opened Maynooth University’s 116-bed project on the 8th of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: For the last two years, my Department has run a rent-a-room campaigns with the objective of increasing the number of digs beds available to students in advance of the academic year. The 2024 campaign resulted in an increase of approximately 1,800 digs beds advertised by our Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). I can confirm that 2025 rent-a-room campaign is now complete. It is expected...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is committed to breaking down cost and other barriers, making Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE) more accessible than ever before. My Department provides direct financial supports to eligible learners. In FET, courses are free or heavily subsidised. Learners in receipt of social welfare can transfer to a learner allowance when participating...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (7 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs. This includes determining tuition fees for individual courses. The higher education tuition fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety of factors including the type of course and the student's access route. The assessment of a student’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Assessment of means under the Student Grant Scheme 2025 is based on gross income from all sources, of the applicant and their parent. No deduction is giving for outgoings, with the exception of pension contributions, legally enforceable maintenance payments and employment related expenses as approved by Revenue (Article 22 (5) of the scheme refers). Additional voluntary contributions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Business Supports (2 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The OECD Ireland Skills Strategy Review (2023) recommended that Ireland strengthen incentives for employers to participate in lifelong learning. My Department is working closely with Skillnet Ireland on a scheme aimed specifically at supporting SMEs in this respect. The aim of the scheme is to support small and medium enterprises to upskill and reskill in areas of critical skills needs, to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (2 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: My officials in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science have been working to progress reform of academic staffing structures in TUs since their establishment under the TU Act, 2018, in the main following recommendations of the TURN Report (2019) and OECD (2022). The academic grades currently in operation in the TU Sector, have been transferred from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (2 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I have not had the opportunity to meet with the CE of Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) since my appointment as Minister in February. My Department’s responsibility for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector is exercised through SOLAS under the Further Education and Training Act 2013. However, given the significant investment my Department makes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (1 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: It would seem that the Deputy is discussing the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme (GOIP) is an established national initiative, funded by my Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and managed by Research Ireland. The GOIP is unique in the Irish research landscape and complements other channels for funded postgraduate education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (30 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: My officials are liaising with SOLAS on this matter and a response will issue to the Deputy as soon as possible on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: I can assure the Deputy that community education is a recognised and valued component in the Further Education and Training (FET) sector. Community education is crucial for individual growth, social cohesion, and democratic participation. It provides local, accessible learning opportunities, fosters skills development, and builds confidence, ultimately promoting greater community involvement....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 958 and 959 together. Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) has confirmed to my officials that they are not aware of any specific budget cuts of 30 percent for this Youthreach centre. If the Deputy has further details, my officials are available to engage directly with SOLAS and LMETB to clarify the matter. LMETB has advised my officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (30 Sep 2025)

James Lawless: As the Deputy is aware, the decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the awarding authority, SUSI to determine. Under the Student Grant Scheme for approved full-time courses, income of the applicant from employment which represents holiday earnings outside of term time (Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays) can be deducted when determining the...