Results 141-160 of 7,125 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: This information requested specifically is not held by my Department in the format requested. The statistics on higher education enrolments are drawn from the Student Records System (SRS) of the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The most recent HEA available data shows that in 2024/2025 there were 12,460 students in higher education whose home county was registered as Kildare. This shows...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2139 and 2140 together. The most recent data available from the Higher Education Authority for the academic year 2024/2025 indicates that Maynooth University had a total enrolment of 15,560 students. Of these, 3,695 students were students starting their first year at the university (classified as 'New Entrants'). Both these figures show the increasing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: UCD Lyons Farm is a teaching and research facility operated by University College Dublin under the College of Health and Agricultural Sciences. It supports the work of the School of Agriculture and Food Science and the School of Veterinary Medicine. As such, it does not maintain separate enrolment figures, and students are enrolled through UCD rather than directly to Lyons Farm. UCD currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: In general, for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent students. A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income) if they have attained the age of 23 on 1st January of the year of first entry or re-entry...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). In line with the rules of progression as set out in Article 17 of the 2025 Student Grant Scheme there is no provision to award a grant to a student who is pursuing a level 6 course who already holds a higher education and training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Programmes (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is committed to breaking down cost barriers, making Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE) more accessible than ever before. Direct financial supports are provided 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 in certain courses....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2026 (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: SOLAS feeds into my Department’s estimates process to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, setting out the projected FET and apprenticeship funding requirements for the following year. As part of this year’s estimates process, SOLAS did not make any specific requests for additional funding for financial literacy for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Under legislation, higher education institutions (HEIs), such as universities, have autonomy in relation to their admissions. Irish HEIs utilise the CAO, a non-profit private company, to centrally and impartially manage the admissions processes and instruct the CAO to make offers on their behalf to applicants. Neither I nor my Department has a role in matters relating to these processes.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending higher education. Students on full or part-time courses leading to a higher education award (NQF level 6-10) in the universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges can apply for the SAF. Therefore the cohort of student's you refer to are eligible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Reports (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy will be aware that the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Boards requires all state agencies to include a report of any consultancy based expenditure in their annual financial statements and annual reports. There is no statutory requirement to provide this information to the public on their websites. However, some state agencies may voluntarily choose to publish this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending higher education. Students on full or part-time courses leading to a higher education award (NQF level 6-10) in the universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges can apply for the SAF. The SAF is available to assist all students from approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I am very conscious of the significant difficulties that face students where their parent or both their parents have died. I would advise any student who suffers the loss of a parent/parents during their college years to contact the Department of Social Protection as soon as possible to check what direct supports may be available to them including Guardian’s Payment:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: My Department approved an allocation of €17m for the Higher Education Apprenticeship Expansion Programme 2023, to deliver an additional 132 apprenticeship craft training blocks, which are providing additional capacity at Phase 4 and Phase 6 in the higher education sector. This investment by my Department is facilitating the expansion of electrical apprenticeship provision (12...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2155 to 2157, inclusive, together. The Electrical apprenticeship, as with all craft apprenticeships, has seven phases. Three of these phases, 2, 4 and 6 are off-the-job training. Phase 2 training is provided in an Educational Training Board (ETB) while phases 4 and 6 are provided in a Higher Education Institution. Both phases 4 and 6 are of a 10 to 11 week...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2158 to 2160, inclusive, together. Ireland needs people with construction skills and experience to help deliver on ambitious targets for new housing and infrastructure. The National Development Plan outlines a record €275.4 billion in public capital investment, aiming to secure Ireland's future, to transform the country, unlock housing, upgrade water...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (4 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Ireland needs people with construction skills and experience to help deliver on ambitious targets for new housing and infrastructure. The National Development Plan outlines a record €275.4 billion in public capital investment, aiming to secure Ireland's future, to transform the country, unlock housing, upgrade water and energy infrastructure, deliver more roads, and provide better...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (22 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: The main support available to assist students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. A Part-Time...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach agus na Seanadóirí. It is good to be here with them today. I see the same familiar faces of the spokespersons I know in the area. It is good to engage with them all both formally today and informally as we all work together in the course of the term. I thank them for their interest in the topic. I am grateful for the chance to speak...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I will of course.

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

James Lawless: I thank all of the Senators very much. I had a prepared speech but I am going to set it aside because it would be far more useful to reply to the contributions made in the course of the debate and to engage with the different points that were made. There was a lot of commonality in the contributions, which makes that easier. I thank Senator Dee Ryan for the reminder that Donogh O'Malley...