Results 1-20 of 3,151 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (26 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. The Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (25 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the private sector activity referred to in the answer given to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 19 June 2025 refers to the activity of international students using travel agents operating outside of the State to help them organise study, accommodation and travel arrangements to come and study in Ireland. These agencies act as intermediaries between...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Dental Services (25 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245, 246, 247 and 248 together. My officials are working closely with their counterparts in the Department of Health to expand training places in areas of acute skills shortage, including oral healthcare and dentistry. The Department of Health is undertaking a scoping project and skills assessment across the oral healthcare sector. This will help inform...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department operates a shared service agreement with the Department of Education and Youth, which provides assistance and support on public procurement policy, contract registration services, and related advisory functions. In addition, the Department has a designated Procurement Compliance Lead, a role held by an Assistant Principal who undertakes these responsibilities alongside other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Within the Department, at least two staff members hold a formal procurement qualification. One achieved their qualification prior to entering the Department. The other staff member completed the Kings Inn - Advanced Diploma in Public Procurement Law while in the Department. In addition, over the past 12 months, the Department has facilitated ongoing Continuing Professional Development in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The Department operates a central Contracts Register which is located within the internal intranet. In line with the Department’s devolved procurement structure, individual Business Units are responsible for recording all contracts awarded for goods and services on the central Contracts Register. This register is periodically reviewed by the Department’s Procurement Compliance...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 938 and 939 together. Marino Institute of Education (MiE) may be open to applying for the title of “designated institution of higher education” once the relevant provisions in the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 have been commenced. This designation would bring MiE under the governance oversight of the HEA. When the Higher Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Exam Timelines (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Education and Training Boards (ETB) Ireland have advised my officials that the scheduling of exams and repeat exams falls within the remit of an individual ETB and each College of FET within that ETB under the direction of the respective Director of FET, taking cognisance of programme delivery and available staff resources. As the Deputy will appreciate, PLC courses are provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The main support available to assist students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme as administered by the awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A new Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses was launched on 01 August 2024....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The institution to which the Deputy refers is not under the auspices of my Department. Its primary relationship is with the Department of Education who I understand, provides funding to it to meet specific skills needs. Private higher education institutions, including the institution to which the Deputy refers, may be eligible to receive funding from the State for limited courses that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Meetings (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Further to Parliamentary Question No. 297 of 12 February 2025, I can confirm that my officials continue to engage with the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) regarding its claim through the established IR mechanisms. I understand that the most recent engagement with TUI officials occurred earlier this month to discuss the claim in the context of local bargaining. At the meeting there was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Projects (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is currently party to a contract for six infrastructure projects under Bundle 1 of the Higher Education Public Private Partnership Programme. Five of the projects have been delivered on time and on budget with the sixth project due to commence service on the 30th of June 2025, in line with what was agreed in the original contract. Therefore, no infrastructure projects have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My officials are in the process of obtaining the requested information from SOLAS and will forward a response to the Deputy separately.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department remains supportive of and committed to the continuation of the George Mitchell Scholarship Programme. A significant level of State resources is held in a fund for the delivery of the scholarships under the legislative framework in place and this funding has been supplemented over recent years by a significant annual subvention from my Department. Officials from my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The Programme for Government agreed across all the Government parties is the blueprint for the commitments of this term of office. Under the heading of Building a Healthier Future, the Programme indicates that this Government will:Introduce a tuition fee support scheme for Graduate Entry MedicineProvide more graduate entry medicine programmes focused on preparing student for careers in rural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I’m conscious of the need to support the transition of the manufacturing sector into advanced manufacturing. Robotics, automation, and AI can substantially enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of our Small and Medium Size Enterprises and our multinationals. The Government is committed to strengthening the ecosystem of supports for businesses. In particular, we are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I was very happy to announce a new phase of structural support funding for eligible higher education institutions in early June 2025 with the introduction of the Targeted Enhancement Fund (TEF). The fund is being administered on my behalf by the Higher Education Authority who issued a call for applications on June 4th. Eligible HEIs are Technological Universities (TUs), Institutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: In 2023 the Higher Education Authority published the new System Performance Framework 2023-2028 which sets out the parameters under which designated institutions of higher education can identify their contribution to the achievement of national strategy, as appropriate to each institution’s mission, scale, location, and strategic plan. This helps the HEA to assess system health, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: In October 2022 the Higher Education Authority (HEA) conducted an expression of interest process for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) interested in building capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary. The HEA received 39 expressions of interest from 15 HEIs. An independent expert panel were appointed to assess these submissions. A report was issued to the then...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (24 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The Building Heroes campaign is designed to encourage new entrants to the construction sector by changing the perception of the sector from the narrow lens of 'on-site' to the opportunities that exist through MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) and other advances; and to address the stereotype that the sector is inappropriate for women. In 2024 the campaign comprised 12 young adults...