Results 121-140 of 5,871 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The National Training Fund (NTF) was established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000, as a dedicated fund to support training of those in employment, and those seeking employment. Section 7 of the Act provides for the NTF to be used to fund schemes, which are established to:raise the skills of those in employment,provide training to those who wish to acquire skills to take up employment,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Craft apprentices are employees and are paid directly by their employer during the “on-the-job” phases of their apprenticeship. Craft apprentice gross wage norms differ for different sectors, are set through collective bargaining, and may be underpinned by sectoral employment orders. When craft apprentices attend “off-the-job” training in Education and Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Services Staff (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1069 and 1070 together. The graduate data requested by the deputy for the years 2020-2023 is in the attached table. The data is from the Student Records System database of the Higher Education Authority. Student numbers are rounded to the nearest five for data protection purposes. The graduate data for 2024 is not yet available from the HEA. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I can provide the Deputy with the number of students that have been awarded a grant under the Student Grant Scheme for the requested years. These are students that are attending an approved full-time course in an approved higher education institution. The figures exclude PLC and oversees colleges. Award 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As a short-term measure to address the challenges faced by students in accessing accommodation, the Government approved funding for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to activate projects with planning permission that had stalled due to cost and viability challenges. Under this measure a percentage of the new beds will be ringfenced for target group students at below market rates. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: In the new Student Accommodation Strategy, which is in development, my focus will be on increasing the supply of student accommodation to benefit both students, and to free up private rental homes. The objectives of the strategy are to:increase the supply of state supported student accommodation.reduce the cost of delivery through development of standardised design guidance.promote...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My Department and I am committed to expanding the number of places available on Medicine Programmes in a sustainable way in collaboration with with my cabinet colleague Minister Carroll McNeill and her officials in the Department of Health. In July 2022, along with the Minister for Health, an agreement was announced to increase the number of annual intake places available for Irish and EU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My officials were in contact with the Deputy's Parliamentary Assistant, Mr. Cormac Devlin who agreed to withdraw this PQ and to have the matter dealt with via eCorrespondence.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: National pipefitting apprenticeship training at phases 4 and 6 is delivered through:Phase 4: Louth Meath Education Training Board with 84 places available in 2025.Phase 6: Munster Technological University (MTU) at its Bishopstown campus in Cork, with an April and September intake in 2025 followed by a January intake in 2026 each with the capacity for 16 places. As of the end of March this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As per the Deputy’s previous question - PQ 7699/25 - on this matter submitted to my Department on 19th February 2025, and the response I gave on 25th March 2025 remains the same. As the Deputy is aware, in March 2024, SIPTU and TUI, the unions representing tutors, agreed to a proposal to formally establish a new grade of adult educator with a standardised pay scale aligned with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vacant Properties (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: My Department does not own or rent any properties, derelict or otherwise, in Dublin-Rathdown. All my Department's official locations are on sites owned and/or operated by the OPW in St. Stephen's Green, Marlborough St and Tullamore.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide increased...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I am sure that the Deputy will appreciate that, as Minister, I have no role in the operational day-to-day running of ETBs, as the scheduling and programming of courses is a matter for each individual ETB, subject to their available budget and local needs. My Department has significantly increased its investment in Further Education and Training in the last number of years, from circa...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Research infrastructure is an essential component of any national research and innovation system. It equips researchers across all research disciplines to undertake their research, to be internationally competitive, and to produce new knowledge and innovations for both economic and wider societal impact. It is also critical for training students as well as researchers in research techniques...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: While the CAO is a private not-for-profit company, not an agency of my Department, I understand that applications for places in Higher Education Institutions in 2025 will not be complete until May. Consequently I am not in a position to answer the first part of the Deputy's question. Any queries on CAO applications are a matter for the CAO and HEIs. I understand that the Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: The Gender Recognition Act comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. I understand that the Department of Social Protection will be in touch in due course, as to details and timeline for the next stage of the process that they would take forward on this matter, and with regard to the follow up to the publication of the review of the Gender Recognition Act,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (8 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I understand that the Leaving Certificate can be a stressful time for students and their families. This includes the decisions for students in determining their pathways into work or continued education through the Further Education and Training or Higher Education systems. My Department has been working tirelessly with the higher education and further education sectors to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (3 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Our higher education system plays an important role in supporting and promoting the use of the Irish language. The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 highlights the importance of the Irish language by placing a responsibility on the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to ensure that higher education institutions (HEIs) promote and use the language. My Department, through the HEA, also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (2 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As was announced in 2024, a Veterinary Medicine degree in South East Technological University (SETU) has been recommended for progression under the HEA Expression of Interest process. It is anticipated that this programme will have its first intake in September 2026, with up to 40 students expected to enrol. Engagement with the Veterinary Council of Ireland is ongoing in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tourism Industry (2 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: In line with the Programme for Governments commitment with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media to develop long term, sustainable, well paid careers in the tourism industry, officials in my Department have contacted SOLAS who advise that there were 268 Further and Education Courses in the area of tourism and hospitality nationally in 2024. Of these courses,...