Results 1,021-1,040 of 5,148 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education Costs (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I remember when the student contribution charge was brought in. Everybody knew it was fees by another name. Realistically, it is long past time for it to be removed. Instead, what we saw in the last budget, which surprised me, were more one-off measures. We are past the time for that; we need to do better than one-off measures. We need to hear a commitment from the Government that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The Minister mentioned a cliff edge. Has he read my legislation and where does he thinks it would result in a cliff edge? It would not provide an equal level of protection as someone in a typical tenancy because I have recognised that these students would be living in someone's home. However, it would have ensured they could not be made homeless overnight. I think that is reasonable. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I totally get that, and that is why I put together reasonable legislation that was regularly mentioned by the Minister's predecessor. Because of the housing crisis and the disastrous response by the Government, people do not realistically have much other choice than to go into digs. Digs are fantastic and it can benefit both the person living in them and the homeowner. My Bill is very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The Minister's own Department and SOLAS recently produced the Report on the Analysis of Skills for Residential Construction & Retrofitting 2023-2030. That report estimated that we need to increase the size of the construction sector by 50,831 new entrants by the year 2030 if we are to meet our targets. What is interesting is that the report used 2019 as its base year. Between 2019...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I totally agree with the Minister's first point about people having certainty. In addition, that again shows us the role of the State. At the end of the day, the State is the largest employer, and that is a very important point. Of course people were concerned about certainty after the crash, but I am looking at those who are in the system right now and who feel like they are not heard or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I do. I talk to SOLAS.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: But we are missing the targets.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 5. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has any plans as regards the area of student digs regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23474/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The Minister mentioned how important digs are in the provision of student accommodation. This year, I published a very workable regulation on student digs. Will he give a commitment to taking a look at that Bill and outline his own plans in this area?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 1. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made with regard to student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23472/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: First, I congratulate the Minister on his new position. I look forward to working with him and hope we can work together in a good, collaborative way going forward, doing our best to remedy some of the difficult issues that lie ahead for both students and staff and within the entire further and higher education sector. My question relates to the student accommodation crisis.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The Minister and I have had dealings in the past when I was the Opposition spokesperson on public expenditure and reform. I have always found the Minister to be very honest, frank and straight to the point, which I think is a very good quality and I hope it is a quality he will bring to this portfolio. If I am honest, in my view, that was lacking in the previous Minister. The Minister...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I would be the first person to say I think something is going well but I genuinely believe that in terms of student accommodation, we are dramatically failing students. If we look at last year's budget, not a red cent was given to capital for student accommodation. If we look at the announcements by the Minister's predecessor, there were continuous re-announcements of the same beds. In my...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Not for capital.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 3. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress being made with regard to the current challenges in the apprenticeship system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23473/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The Minister was just talking about capacity issues. One of the big things in terms of capacity is to make sure we have the workforce that can build the different projects that we need, particularly when it comes to accommodation needs. That is why I would like the Minister to outline what progress is being made at the moment with regard to the current challenges in the apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 74. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the general supports available for small businesses currently struggling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22991/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of craft instructors recruited as part of his national recruitment campaign to hire an additional 100 craft apprentice instructors. [23351/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 287. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of craft apprentices currently employed by the ESB and Bord na Móna; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23352/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 May 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 288. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he plans to introduce a special purpose apprenticeship in modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23353/24]