I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 464 together.
The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs, in line with their institutional autonomy, who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO, and it is not within my remit to make changes to the higher education admissions process.
However the third-level education system is not limited to higher education. There are a wide variety of options available in the further education sector ranging from PLCs to craft apprenticeships to ICT apprenticeships. It is my intention to ensure that these options are given the same visibility as options in higher education. In the short term, information about further education options will be provided on the CAO website. Into the future, it is my intention that applications for further and higher education will be made through a single portal.
It is also my intention to strengthen pathways between further and higher education, allowing learners to progress between them more easily. My Department and I will continue to work to provide a diverse and flexible range of pathways in further and higher education to support lifelong learning.