Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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86. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his Department's plans to increase higher and further education capacity to train students in facets of ecosystem restoration as a key underpinning element of climate resilient development in view of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12704/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is committed to playing its part in moving towards a more sustainable economy, particularly as articulated in the Climate Action Plan 2021, National Retrofit Plan and the EGFSN report Skills for a Zero Carbon Economy and drawing on international developments such as the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

General provision in areas such as green skills and sustainability is ongoing across the FET sector. The Green Skills for FET Roadmap 2021-2030 will be launched 23rd March and sets out (in high-level) the FET requirements to meet the Climate Action Plan 2021, Skills for Zero Carbon 2021, and similar government policies/plans. It incorporates the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Green Skills Action Programme which began in 2021. Under the Programme, 60,000 green skills places and 4,550 retrofit and NZEB training places across a total of five centres of excellence are to be provided by the end of 2022.

The expansion of Technological Universities will also develop expertise and provide opportunities for Ireland’s future green economy.

In higher education, the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) has provided significant funding for courses that include a focus on the environment, climate change and sustainability. Across HCI Pillars 1 and 2, 16 courses with a specific focus on environment/energy/sustainability/circular economy were approved, providing almost 1000 course places for learners. A number of HCI pillar 3 projects with notable components addressing climate action, environment and sustainability were awarded funding and will have wide-reaching impacts, given the multi-partner collaborative approach adopted in many instances. A number of Springboard+ courses also have a focus on environment and sustainability matters. 

In April, Minister Foley and I announced a public consultation on the development of the second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The strategy will be aligned with UNESCO’s Framework to 2030 and SDG 4.7, which aims that:

“By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development”.

Further embedding ESD in curricula and programmes at all levels will be a key focus area in the strategy to support this. It is expected that the new strategy for ESD to 2030 will be published later in Spring 2022.