Results 1-20 of 7,125 for speaker:James Lawless

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Business of Select Committee (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members. It is good to be back with the select committee today. Before I get into the business of the meeting, is it in order to give an update on the Queen's-Dundalk IT announcement today? It could be of interest to members.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Business of Select Committee (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Cathaoirleach for her indulgence. I know she is a great supporter of the project. Dundalk IT and Queen's University have entered into an agreement to advance a partnership whereby Dundalk IT would become a university college of Queen's, Belfast. That is a really positive development. I am very supportive of it. I brought it to Cabinet yesterday myself. At the same time...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Business of Select Committee (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Cathaoirleach.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I thank all members for their feedback on Queen's University Belfast and Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is indeed a great day. I thank the committee for inviting me back to discuss the National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025. I thank the committee for its assistance in expediting this legislation. It is critical for the sector that we get this through by the year end so that...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy. I have had a good look at the amendment and discussed it with my officials. It makes a lot of sense. I see the intent of it. Before I get into the substantive response, I absolutely share and support the Deputy's call and desire to promote apprenticeships and further education. It is one of the functions of this Bill that with regard to the provision of funding from...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: It is probably a bit broader because it goes into EU law. In legislation more broadly, I suspect the Department of public expenditure would be involved but there are EU law provisions, as well as others. Does the Deputy wish to return to it on Report Stage and we might take the opportunity in between to have a look at it and see if there is anything we can do along the lines he is...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I agree with all the Deputies. I advise them that we do have the public sector apprenticeship plan. That is not about procurement but it is about us walking the walk ourselves. Government Departments, State agencies, etc., are encouraged and we have a proactive policy plan in place to ensure that all agencies of the State are engaging in apprenticeship training. In my own Department, we...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: National Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: Section 1 is ultimately where we insert the new section 7(2B). As I mentioned, it is to incorporate: (a) the acquisition of lands, premises, furniture, equipment; (b) the upgrading, construction or reconstruction, including repair and maintenance, of premises.". I will mention that it is all consistent with the original NTF goals.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I am thankful for the opportunity to present the 2025 Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. My officials have provided a briefing to the secretariat of the committee that I hope will be of assistance to members in analysing it. This Supplementary Estimate provides a gross increase of €96 million to bring the...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: That is to see us through the remainder of 2025. I agree with the Deputy that the system was very generous at the outset, when the first wave of people began to arrive from the war. As that situation has continued it was important to move to a more sustainable model, one that is fairer to everybody and which introduced things like a means test, which was not there previously. That allows...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: It is now means-tested.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: The payment is now means-tested. It was not before.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I think we are in violent agreement. I am saying the same thing as the Deputy is. We should have a fairer scheme that applies the same rules whether one is Irish, Ukrainian or from somewhere else. The previous scheme did not do that. I think things like the means test are fair and reasonable to apply to any situation or student, whether they are Ukrainian, Irish or from anywhere else. I...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I do not have them at the moment but I am sure we can provide them to the Deputy afterwards.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: I think it would have to be in the thousands, yes, but I do not have a figure at the moment. We could probably debate the ARP on another day but it is not under my Department so I will not get into that scheme.

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: That is a very specific situation that happened in Cashel and a few other areas and comes under the remit of the parent ETB. Each ETB has its own autonomy in how it manages its budget and allocations. The sums of money that are being supplied to the ETBs has never been greater. The amount of money being supplied to SOLAS has never been greater. As for how they allocate that within their...

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: It is up to the ETBs. The apprenticeship provision is fully funded. If the ETBs want to make their own decisions, whether they want to increase or cut courses or keep them static-----

Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (19 Nov 2025)

James Lawless: ETBs are getting more money than they have ever got before and the funding gap that was identified has been plugged and filled in full by this and other measures. There is no shortfall in the funding given to them. In actual fact they have had more money given to them this year than ever before. It is actually at an historic high. How the ETBs manage that and what decisions they make at...