Results 81-100 of 3,212 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:James Lawless

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...

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

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 954, 955, 956, 957 and 958 together. The CAO is an independent private company, its function is to process applications for undergraduate courses and some postgraduate courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). CAO points are determined by the Leaving Certificate Grades of applicants, the number of available places, and the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Travel agencies, such as the one referred to by the Deputy, are privately owned and primarily operate in other jurisdictions. These agencies arrange study and travel options for prospective international higher education (HE) and English language education (ELE) students to many countries including Ireland. These agencies act as intermediaries between prospective students and predominantly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Under the Free Fees Initiative, the State provides funding towards the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students exclusive of the student contribution. The student contribution was introduced in the 2011/12 academic year. The student contribution replaced the student services charge levied by higher education institutions (HEIs), which were up to €1,500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the development of relevant curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. I understand that costs of individual courses can vary depending on a variety of factors, including the type of course and the method of provision. Costs also vary by institution. HEIs work...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department announced the Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund (SIUF) programme call, in February 2022, to support the upgrade of Further Education and Training (FET) infrastructure for Education and Training Boards (ETBs).  Its purpose is to provide for high-quality teaching and learning environments, aligned with the principles of the FET College of the Future. A total of 19...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: On 13 May, the Government agreed to my proposals to establish a Global Talent Initiative to bring international research talent to Ireland. My Department is working with Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland to design a call, which will be launched this summer. The programme will have an initial budget of €8m per annum. It is anticipated that this figure will support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (19 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) is committed to embracing opportunities for remote and blended working. The DFHERIS Blended Working Policy was introduced at the end of 2023 and allows staff members to make applications to work remotely for up to three days per week subject to business needs. Fully remote work patterns are not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Craft apprentices are employees and are paid directly by their employer during the “on-the-job” training phases of their apprenticeship. Craft apprentice gross wage norms differ for different sectors. They are set through collective bargaining, and may be underpinned by sectoral employment orders. Neither SOLAS nor my department are involved in the setting of wages for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (18 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The main form of financial assistance available to higher education students is the Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI. Full-time Online and Distance Learning Courses, do not qualify for grant assistance under the Student Grant Scheme. My Department does however recognise the need to offer support for more flexible forms of learning and last year, for the first time, a new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (18 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutions of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland are autonomous bodies. As such, institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own internal affairs, including their engagements with different companies and institutions....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Grant Scheme is a demand led scheme and as such the number of students who are eligible for grants varies from year to year. As of 30th May 2025, there are approximately 48,622 students in receipt of a maintenance grant at PLC, Postgraduate and Undergraduate level, if the same number of students were eligible for a grant in 2025/2026 an additional €1,000 would cost over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The Student Grant Scheme is a demand led scheme and as such the number of students who are eligible for grants varies from year to year. As of 30th May 2025, there are approximately 26,583 students in receipt of a non-adjacent maintenance grant at Postgraduate and Undergraduate level. If the same number of students were eligible for a grant in 2025/2026 an additional €1,000 would cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: My Department is continually monitoring the student supports available in order to make improvements where possible, subject to budgetary constraints. Up until recently, there was no fee support for students undertaking part-time courses. As the Deputy may be aware, I recently launched the new Part Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses. This Scheme is limited to undergraduate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 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 Medicine.Provide more graduate entry medicine programmes focused on preparing student for careers in rural...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 949 and 950 together. My Department and the Department of Health are working closely to expand provision across a number of acute skills shortages, including Medicine and other healthcare disciplines. Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is a pathway for degree holders who want to pursue a medical career on an accelerated four-year programme. Students pursuing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: I propose to take Questions Nos. 951 and 953 together. The information that the Deputy has requested is not readily available. My staff are currently collecting this information and I will get back to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: Further Education and Training (FET) is primarily delivered or contracted by the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), within national guidelines. This Department has significantly increased its investment in the FET sector, from circa €909 million in 2020 to €1,055 million in 2024. As the state agency responsible for the FET sector in Ireland, SOLAS allocates the vast...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (17 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 Data (17 Jun 2025)

James Lawless: The additional funding allocated to Apprenticeship in Budget 2024 (€67m) and Budget 2025 (€77.4m) is allocated by way of grant funding via the National Training Fund to SOLAS and the HEA who fund apprenticeship programmes in education institutions. Following Budget 2025, current funding investment by my Department in apprenticeships is €339m. Some €170.1m (50%) of...