Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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345. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has carried out an assessment of the potential of remote delivery in further education and if new initiatives are planned in this arena. [50444/23]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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There are online and blended learning opportunities available across Further Education and Training. The Covid pandemic accelerated the digital transformation across the 16 Education and Training Boards, who all have virtual learning environments to digitally support learning, whether in classroom, blended or remote/fully online settings. The ETBs provide a wide range of blended and online programmes, based on the strategic skills priorities of their regions, which are searchable at www.fetchcourses.ie.

eCollege, the national online learning resource for the FET sector, is funded and co-ordinated by SOLAS. It provides flexible, certified, tutor-supported online learning opportunities for skills development, with a range of courses in digital skills, project management and business skills. Its online courses are entirely flexible and can be taken at a time to suit the learner. There are 40 programmes currently available with a further 20 new programmes planned. eCollege fees were removed in 2020 during the pandemic and courses remain free, attracting 21,153 learners in 2022. SOLAS carried out a Strategic Review of eCollege and Digital Learning Supports which recommended that eCollege be developed. SOLAS aims to enhance the reach, range and quality of the eCollege service in the future, to ensure a sustainable and expanded portfolio of learning opportunities are available to an increasing number of FET learners.

Additonally, SOLAS-funded agencies, including NALA and An Cosán, offer a number of online, remote and blended courses. NALA’s on-line platform ‘Learn with NALA’ offers both non-accredited and accredited courses on-line. In 2024 NALA expect to provide training to some 1,600 beneficiaries.

The recently launched 24 new short, stackable micro qualification programmes offered by the ETBs and developed collaboratively with industry, combine tutor support which can be in person, blended or online with self directed learning including the preparation of work related assignments.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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346. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans he has in place to ensure that one-third of higher education teaching staff do not leave Ireland (details supplied). [1922/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The report as referenced from the Irish Federation of University Teachers does not seem to suggest that one-third of higher education teaching staff are planning to leave Ireland. This is not to say however that the report does not highlight some concerning issues and is a useful contribution to ongoing consideration of precarious employment.

The issue of academic career precarity is and will remain an important element of the work of my Department, and measures are being undertaken that will directly help to combat any undue reliance on precarious contracts. Some €100m in additional funding has been secured under the Funding the Future framework. This is a significant step forward in funding higher education on a sustainable basis and will enable institutions to recruit the staff they need while helping to remove the temptation to rely on more casual arrangements for budgetary reasons.

In addition, a considerable amount of work has been undertaken to develop a revised staffing framework to replace the current Employment Control Framework (ECF). Work is continuing on this new approach which will better align with the realities that the higher education sector now faces. Furthermore, an uplift of some 1,500 core-funded posts under the current ECF was announced in the summer which will facilitate Higher Education Institutions in recruiting more permanent staff.

As part of the Department’s work on precarity, my officials engage with all stakeholders, including trade unions and Higher Education Institutions. At the same time, even as all stakeholders work to ensure that there is optimal security and stability for staff, there is a need to recognise the autonomy of universities and other institutions and their legitimate need for an appropriate staffing mix that supports a high-performing sector.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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My Department allocates funding to SOLAS from the Exchequer and the National Training Fund to deliver Further Education and Training (FET) programmes and services throughout the country. As set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024, the 2024 allocation is over €1.121 billion and will continue to build on the Government’s commitment to provide our citizens with various levels of skills through FET programmes to enable them to succeed in the labour market and fully participate in society. The allocation comprises €524,690,000 current expenditure (including pension provision); €65,500,000 capital expenditure and €531,270,000 National Training Fund expenditure. This allocation represents an increase of approximately 10% on SOLAS’ 2023 allocation. Over €245 million will be directed to learners already in the workforce including apprenticeships and Skills to Advance courses. Employees and employers will continue to benefit from upskilling and reskilling opportunities provided via a wide and diverse range of FET courses. Over €285 million will provide training courses to learners preparing to enter/re-enter the workforce including PLC courses and Skills to Compete. SOLAS allocates the bulk of this funding to the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs). FET provision includes both labour market focused programmes and programmes with a strong social inclusion dimension. FET programmes are delivered in a wide range of settings including Post-Leaving Certificate and Further Education Colleges, Training Centres, Youthreach and adult education centres. FET is also provided through community and voluntary groups, commercial training providers and in workplaces.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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348. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to indicate if this jurisdiction is likely to experience any shortages of graduates in the future within a particular area to meet the demand of the corresponding workforce, his plans to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2338/24]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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352. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to indicate the extent to which he continues to research future requirements in the education sector with a view to ensuring an adequate supply of graduates throughout in a variety of fields; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2342/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 and 352 together.

The tertiary education system plays a central role in ensuring that our graduates from higher education, further education and training and from apprenticeship are equipped with the cognitive skills, the essential transversal skills, and the vocational and professional skills and competencies which will equip them for success in work and society.

Against the backdrop of the accelerating and intensifying digital and green transitions, it is essential that our skills ecosystem has the agility and flexibility to adapt to changing priorities in the skills and workforce development landscape. In this context, one of the key themes of the OECD Review of Ireland's National Skills Strategy published last May was the need to secure a balance in skills through a responsive, diversified supply of skills in Ireland.

The agility and flexibility of the tertiary system is underscored by responsiveness to priority industry and enterprise workforce needs under key policy initiatives such as, for example; the Action Plan for Apprenticeship; Funding the Future; the Green Skills for FET Roadmap; and the National Digital Strategy Harnessing Digital.

Ireland's success in ensuring that those with qualifications from the tertiary system are meeting the economy's skills needs are evidenced by the results of the Higher Education Authority's national Graduate Outcomes Survey which shows that overall, 81.9% of graduates in 2021 were in employment nine months after graduation. It will be a priority to ensure a continued high level of responsiveness by the tertiary education system to the rapid pace of technological change, including the expected substantial impact of AI on the workforce