Results 1,741-1,760 of 11,777 for speaker:Niall Collins

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (24 May 2022)

Niall Collins: My officials contacted Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) who advised that it recently published its call for proposals under the Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund (MAEDF) / Community Education Grants on its website at www.cmetb.ie/funding-announcement/13/05/2022/. The MAEDF is designed to increase the capacity of community and youth education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 May 2022)

Niall Collins: The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides funding to higher and further education institutions for the delivery of key services and supports for students with disabilities. It aims to support the personal, educational and professional development of the participating students. While historically administered by the Higher Education Authority, responsibility for the Fund in...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (24 May 2022)

Niall Collins: 669. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 316 of 17 February 2022, the current staffing levels of paediatric epilepsy services at University Hospital Limerick; the current vacancies which exist in the service; the measures that are being taken to recruit staff for these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26402/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: I thank Deputy Calleary. This is of high priority. Our Department is engaged actively and proactively through each of our ETBs. There have been several reports arising from the work of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and also the work on having a zero-carbon economy. They have produced targets in respect of which we are trying actively to create awareness and ensure that all...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: In reply to Deputy Calleary, an NZEB centre in Sligo is being worked on and is to be opened soon. On Deputy Conway-Walsh's concerns, we will talk to the national apprenticeship office.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputies for the question. A range of skills are needed to support delivery of the new national retrofit scheme, including general operatives, those with short retrofit-related courses, craft apprentices and those with professional qualifications in areas such as architecture and engineering. Consequently, education and training relevant to the skills needed for retrofitting...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: I thank Deputy McNamara for his question. I know he has raised it previously. The backdrop to the current waiting lists for essential practical training for apprentices is reflected in the extended shutdown of on-site learning activity from March 2020. The closure of education and training facilities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic precluded access to off-the-job training. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy. We all share the same ambitions and it is good to see that those ambitions are, in the main, being realised. The apprenticeship action plan set out a target to achieve 10,000 new apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025. In the year 2021, a record 8,607 new apprentices were registered on the system. That is an increase of nearly 40% on the comparator year,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: It is important to reiterate that significant money was applied towards creating additional capacity. I have explained to the Deputy the additional number of posts that have been approved, which is more than 100. There were also other interventions in the delivery structures of phase 2 off-the-job training and the facilitation of a third intake. Last December, there was an opt-in rapid...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: A range of industrial relations issues pertaining to adult education tutors have been under discussion for several years under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills preceding the establishment of my Department. Notwithstanding this progress, the claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing grade ineducation and training boards (ETBs) currently remains unresolved. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: As the Deputy may be aware, apprenticeship is undertaken under a contract of employment and for the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, the rates of pay applying under the employment contract are either agreed within the relevant sector, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court. For turner fitter engineer apprentices specifically, or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: My Department has received the draft report of the expert panel commissioned by SOLAS to review the funding model for Further Education and Training (FET). The report was also sent to the Board of SOLAS and Education and Training Boards Ireland. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the work of the panel members in reviewing the existing arrangements and making a comprehensive set of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: A range of industrial relations issues pertaining to adult education tutors have been under discussion for several years under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills preceding the establishment of my Department. Notwithstanding this progress, the claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing grade in education and training boards (ETBs) currently remains unresolved....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: Apprentices are primarily employees and all of the 65 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the apprenticeship. For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: Active inclusion has always been a central tenet of the work of ETBs and FET providers, with an extensive reach into and across local communities. SOLAS’ publication FET in Numbers 2020: Learners with Disabilitiesrecords 11,376 learners (7.5% of all learners) enrolled in FET programmes who reported having at least one type of disability. Fostering inclusion is one of the three core...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: 282. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process in obtaining an exemption from Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25519/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Niall Collins: A key goal for my Department is to enhance the visibility of further education and training (FET) and apprenticeship options for school leavers and the changes to allow school leavers explore options across the third level system, whether in higher education, further education or apprenticeship options, from the CAO website is an important development. Within the FET sector, a central portal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (18 May 2022)

Niall Collins: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by GRETB. I have requested that GRETB forward the information directly to the Deputy when complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (17 May 2022)

Niall Collins: The information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by SOLAS, the Further Education Authority. I have requested that SOLAS forward the information directly to the Deputy when complete.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (17 May 2022)

Niall Collins: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.