Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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830. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will make an application to the European globalisation adjustment fund to assist workers who have lost their jobs at a workplace (details supplied) in Tullamore, County Offaly. [36840/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that Cardinal Health Ireland Ltd issued a collective redundancy notification on 29 August 2024 in respect of 308 positions over a 15 month period from April 2025 to June 2026. Clearly the potential loss of these jobs is most regrettable and I understand that my colleague Minister Burke’s Department is working with the company management and with staff on current and potential future possibilities and is making every effort to identify alternative employment opportunities for the staff affected by this announcement.

The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) assists Member States to provide active labour market supports to workers made redundant in major restructuring events.

Under the EGF rules, in general, Member States may apply for EGF support where at least 200 redundancies take place in a company in a 4 month reference period. EGF applications must specify the number of redundancies that have occurred within the reference period and must be submitted within 12 weeks of the end of that period. As the Cardinal Health announcement related to 308 redundancies over 15 months, the actual timing of the redundancies will determine if this eligibility criterion is met.

Separately, my Department has a Job Loss Response Protocol with the Departments of Social Protection and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. In a situation of job losses and redundancies, the Department of Social Protection is the lead Department. As the redundancy position becomes clear, the protocol arrangements will be put in place to assist the impacted workers access their welfare entitlements, job-search assistance, self-employment supports and the wide range of upskilling and reskilling opportunities available.

My officials in the ESF and EGF Policy and Operations Unit will continue to monitor the redundancy position and the range of state supports being made available to the workers.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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831. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider amending Irish education legislation, similar to the amendment to the Education (Fees and Student Support) (Scotland) legislation, which would allow female Afghani nationals, who were attending a course of study at a university or equivalent institution in Afghanistan, but have been prevented from continuing that course by the Taliban regime since the 31 August 2021, in order that they could continue their education in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36131/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the very challenging context for female Afghani students.

To avail of funding under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) or the Student Grant Scheme, students must meet the criteria of the respective schemes including the residency and nationality criteria. All students, including Irish Nationals or persons granted International Protection are required to meet the residency criteria of the respective schemes.

Notwithstanding this, Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and in this regard it is a matter for the HEIs themselves to determine their admissions and fees policies. This includes setting the criteria a student must meet to avail of the EU rate of fees in the respective institution.

While this Department does not have a specific scheme to support students from Afghanistan, I am aware that a number of Irish Universities are responding to requests from students as part of the Scholars at Risk Programme and Sanctuary Programmes.