Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 January 2023
1037. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans in place to dramatically increase the number of third level courses for marine planners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63991/22]
View answerThere are a range of courses available at Level 8 - Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications relevant to marine planning, including courses such as, but not limited to, Bachelor of Science (Marine Science), MSc in Applied Coastal Marine Management, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Environmental Planning and Management, MPlan (Planning and Sustainable Development) and Master of Science Spatial Planning.
Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006, and the Technological Universities Act 2018. As such they are autonomous in relation to their administrative and academic affairs, and the courses offered by any institution, and the level at which they are offered, are a matter for the individual institutions to determine.
However, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation & Science (DFHERIS) fosters and develops a responsive education and skills system. The identification of skills priorities to help inform and shape planning for graduate output from higher education is guided by the National Skills Strategy 2016-2025, as the framework for skills development. The National Skills Council (NSC) and nine Regional Skills Fora (RSF), created under the National Skills Strategy, foster engagement and collaboration between relevant Government Departments and agencies, the education and training system, and enterprise. The broader skills ecosystem also encompasses entities including the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU, hosted in SOLAS), the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment) and the National Training Fund Advisory Group (NTFAG, DFHERIS). While DFHERIS has responsibility for skills policy, this broader skills ecosystem informs and drives responsive, flexible forecasting, planning, and provision.
My Department is focused on and will continue to focus on driving a skills ecosystem and skills agenda in Ireland which is agile and flexible to priority skill needs, including those arising from the twin digital and green transitions, to ensure Ireland has a skilled and productive workforce prepared for the challenges ahead.
