Written answers
Thursday, 29 January 2026
Department of Education and Skills
- Education Policy
92. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to address the long commute times for university students in Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6872/26] - Education Standards
93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he is taking to ensure enforcement of regulations in a sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6535/26] - Oideachas trí Ghaeilge
97. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an nglacann sé go bhfuil ag teip ar na hinstitiúidí tríú leibhéal a ndóthain cúrsaí as Gaeilge sna... - Research Funding
98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills Ireland’s current position in international research funding competitiveness; the steps he is taking to ensure that Irish universities and... - Third Level Costs
99. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to remove financial obstacles to further and higher education in Budget 2027, and over the lifetime of this Government; and if he will... - Third Level Education
100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the level of communication between his Department and third level educators with industries to ensure that courses stay relevant and topical to... - Student Accommodation
105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to ensure that students will be insulated from disproportionate rent increases under the new tenancy legislation; and if... - Further and Higher Education
107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on measures being taken to support the continued development of a college (details supplied), including capital investment, student... - Apprenticeship Programmes
108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to incentivise employers to take on greater numbers of apprentices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7007/26] - Third Level Costs
109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on supports to be provided to graduate medicine students who receive no SUSI grant, no Government support, and no access to student... - Student Accommodation
110. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps his Department is taking to ensure that students seeking accommodation in Irish cities do not fall victim to online scams relating to... - Third Level Fees
111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has plans to reduce the student contribution fee for the academic year 2026/27, in line with Programme for Government... - Apprenticeship Programmes
112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the plans to increase numbers of apprenticeships in key industries that are experiencing labour shortages; and if he will make a... - Education and Training Boards
113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board’s proposal for an FET college in Galway City; and if he will make a... - Artificial Intelligence
114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is concerned about the impact of AI tools on third level exam integrity; the measures being taken to address this; and if he will make a... - Research and Development
115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the support made available to an institute (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6963/26] - Third Level Costs
116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken to help support students and families in Carlow and Kilkenny by reforming the SUSI grant, as committed to in the Programme for... - Student Accommodation
117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of purpose-built student accommodation bed spaces available for students with disabilities in Cork; the number of students that... - Further and Higher Education
118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current position regarding the proposed major building project for a college (details supplied); the timeline for this project to proceed to... - Education Policy
119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the mechanisms his Department have in place to identify skills gaps in job growth sectors, and the way in which it responds to them through... - Student Accommodation
121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures being taken to improve student accommodation affordability and access in Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6873/26] - Third Level Costs
122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the merits of creating a student finance model that would provide interest free loans to students that do not qualify for SUSI... - Third Level Staff
123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is taking to address staffing shortages, escalating workloads, and declining staff-to-student ratios across higher education... - Student Accommodation
124. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he is taking to address the escalating shortage of affordable student accommodation, particularly in regional university towns, where... - Education Standards
125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of English language schools which were inspected in 2025 by officials from his Department to ensure full compliance with their... - Research Funding
126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will follow the recommendation of the Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers and establish a new review group to look at the... - Student Accommodation
127. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his Department’s efforts to increase and accelerate provision of student accommodation in Galway; and if he will make a... - Further and Higher Education
128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on plans to deliver new, permanent accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the... - Education and Training Provision
130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the broad services provided in Millstreet FET Centre; the number of attendees in each of the years 2023-2025; and if he will make a... - Further and Higher Education
131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of extra college places being created in September 2026 and September 2027 to ensure adequate supply of new speech and language... - Student Accommodation
132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase student accommodation delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6936/26] - Apprenticeship Programmes
133. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to make apprenticeships more accessible across the country. [7011/26] - Further and Higher Education
134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans his Department has to increase the mental health supports provided in further and higher education; and if he will make a statement on... - Public Procurement Contracts
135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which his Department is promoting social inclusion contracts through capital work management programmes; and if he will make a... - Further and Higher Education
136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is following developments to bring diverse further education and training streams together under a single brand such as the Dublin college... - Third Level Fees
137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if fees will be abolished over the lifetime of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6723/26] - Education Policy
139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he is taking to ensure that every third level campus and coursework requirements are fully accessible for any student or staff member... - Apprenticeship Programmes
140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the Action Plan for Apprenticeships 2026–2030; when the plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the... - Third Level Education
141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the progress of the merger of Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen’s University of Belfast. [6777/26] - Grant Payments
142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to independent students who have become estranged from their families after the age of 18 years, but are... - Apprenticeship Programmes
143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the initiatives his Department are implementing to improve gender balance across apprenticeship recruitment; and if he will make a... - Further and Higher Education
144. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to accelerate delivery of new FET infrastructure, given the growing demand for apprenticeships and upskilling... - Education Policy
145. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if shared island funding could be used to advance the development of capital infrastructure at Dundalk Institute of Technology; and if he will... - Student Accommodation
146. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether his Department is assessing the extension or adaptation of existing funding and approval mechanisms for student housing developments;... - Apprenticeship Programmes
148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his Department’s plans to increase the number of apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6909/26] - Further and Higher Education
149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has carried out any analysis of university courses in which maximum leaving certificate points did not guarantee admission due... - Third Level Admissions
150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to access courses offered in various universities to mature students and school leavers from underrepresented backgrounds, the number... - Student Accommodation
151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase delivery of student accommodation in Thurles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6937/26] - Education Policy
152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update, to include a timeline for commencement and completion, on the Disability Demonstration Project; and if he will make... - Further and Higher Education
153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions he is taking to expand access to further and higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those with... - Student Accommodation
154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure adequate provision of accommodation for students. [6990/26] - Further and Higher Education
155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an institute of further education or any other educational campus outside Dundalk in County Louth is being considered as satellites, or linked... - Apprenticeship Programmes
156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether he is aware that there are only 15 apprentices in Cork at Phase 6. [6190/26] - Grant Payments
158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has plans to amend SUSI criteria in relation to family estrangement to ensure greater access to SUSI grants; and if he will... - Third Level Education
159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether he has met with UCC to discuss the business school plans for a site (details supplied) in Cork. [6191/26] - Third Level Fees
160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the end user cost of third level fees in each of the years 2024, 2025 and 2026; and his proposals to abolish fees. [6989/26] - Further and Higher Education
161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the development of a new Galway college of further education by Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board; and if he will... - Education Policy
163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the implementation of the sustainable funding model for higher education, and when institutions can expect the full funding... - Further and Higher Education
165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the work that Irish institutes are involved in with CERN. [7010/26] - Student Accommodation
166. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide genuinely affordable student accommodation to address the ongoing accommodation crisis for our students; and if he will make... - Research and Development
167. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his Departments supports for Cork as a research and innovation hub; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6964/26] - Further and Higher Education
168. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the broad services provided in Macroom FET Centre; the number of attendees for each of the years 2023-2025; and if he will make a... - Education Policy
169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the planned additional course provision in high demand areas like medicine, pharmacy and nursing. [6992/26]
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