Written Answers Nos. 1809-1823
1810. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide details (details supplied) in relation to a research centre hosted by University College Dublin. [16712/23]
View answerI should first explain that my Department provides resources for competitive research funding allocated through calls managed by Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. This is in addition to the research funded by Higher Education Institutions through their block grants.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies established under statute and accordingly the distribution of funds for research or any other area is a matter to be managed appropriately at institutional level.
As the Deputy will be aware, HEIs are required to comply with all relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) guidelines including as appropriate, the Public Spending Code. In addition the respective Codes of Governance for HEIs require that governing authorities should ensure that robust and effective systems and procedures are in place to oversee the use of resources.
My Department has made enquiries and I understand that iCRAG is the SFI Research Centre in Applied Geophysics and hosted by U.C.D. It is responsible for driving research in
• Sustainable discovery of energy resources and raw materials required for decarbonisation.
• Securing and protecting groundwater and marine resources.
• Protecting society from Earth’s hazards such as flooding and landslides.
It's current academic partners are: University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, University College Cork, University of Galway, Maynooth University, Dublin City University and Teagasc.
iCRAG’s current state partners are: Geological Survey Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and the Environmental Protection Agency.
iCRAG’s current industry partners are: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), PIPCo RSG Ltd, Black Angel Mining A/S, Trevali Mining Corp., Boliden, CASP, Pavement Management Services (PMS), Silicate Carbon, Ireland Green Metals Ltd., Hannah Metals, Wills Bros Ltd., JP Barry & Partners, RPS Group, Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), Greenfields, Rio Tinto, Ecocem, Bord na Mona, Nagra, Equinor, and COMPROBE Chile.
The list of projects being undertaken by iCRAG is available on its website. Due to commercial sensitivities and confidentiality, it is not possible to provide a list of which industry partners fund which individual research projects, nor which partners are involved with individual projects.
iCRAG runs a wide variety of workshops, events, and programmes at which stakeholders, partners and members of the public attend. Details on such events can be found on the iCRAG website.
1811. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will set out how he intends to differentiate between community education facilitators working directly in the area of community education, and other employees of education and training boards who have the title of community education facilitator but work in other areas of further education and training, having regard to Government strategy for higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16734/23]
View answer1812. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will set out in tabular form, the number of employees of education and training boards working directly in the area of community education; the number of employees of education and training boards with the title of community education facilitator; the number of employees of education and training boards with the title of community education facilitator who work in areas outside of community education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16735/23]
View answer1813. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the process he plans to undertake in the grade realignment of community education facilitators employed by education and training boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16736/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1811 to 1813, inclusive, together.
As of 17 April 2023, Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) have advised my Department that there are 120 people employed as Community Education Facilitators across the ETBs as set out in the following table:
|
CEFs working directly in Community Education |
CEFs working outside the area of community education |
Total |
|
40 |
80 |
120 |
ETBI are compiling data in respect of the number of ETB employees working directly in the area of community education, and this will data will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
The grade of Community Education Facilitator (CEF) was introduced in the context of the then Department of Education and Science’s White Paper on Adult Education, “Learning for Life” in 2002. The role of a CEF was to assist the planning, development and management of the ETB’s local community education service.
There was agreement subsequently with the Unions that cross cutting FET roles could be filled using the CEF grade within the context of the Organisational Design review process to be undertaken for the ETBs. The management side agreed to only fill such cross-cutting roles on a temporary basis with the permanent filling of these roles to be subject to discussion with the Unions and approval from DPER.
My Department together with the Department of Education, which retains regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector, along with the ETBs and SOLAS, are committed to engaging with the Unions on the second phase of the Organisational Design (ODII) of the ETBs.
A dedicated FET Transformation Unit has been established by my Department to examine the issues flagged by the sector around FET staffing structures and to assess the business case for a strategic transformation of FET practitioner staffing against the background of the FET College of the Future. An initial project will collect baseline data on current FET staffing across the 16 ETBs and mapping of grades and responsibilities assigned.
ETB management has held a number of workshops on ODII to facilitate their input into a joint management paper which will issue to the staff side to facilitate discussions between the parties.
The realignment and differentiation of such cross-cutting FET roles, at the grade of Community Education Facilitator and other grades if relevant, will be explored in the context of ODII.
1814. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 550 of 28 March 2023, his views on whether there is sufficient engagement between his Department and professional bodies and third level institutions to ensure that consistency and fairness is applied to the conversion of professional and academic qualifications held by Ukrainian refugees to their Irish equivalent; if a one-stop shop could be established to assist this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16756/23]
View answerThe Irish Government is committed to providing every support possible to Ukrainian people seeking the recognition of their qualifications in Ireland.
Where a profession is regulated, such as the professions of doctor, nurse or teacher for example, an individual wishing to practice their profession in Ireland must engage with the relevant Irish Competent Authority or professional regulator to seek the recognition of their qualifications. Many of these Authorities have already reached out to engage with the Ukrainian community and have published dedicated material on their websites to assist Ukrainians who are now seeking to practice their profession in Ireland.
In June 2022 I wrote to all Ministers with responsibility for regulated professions to ensure every effort is being made to facilitate the recognition of Ukrainian qualifications. In addition, my Department has been providing ongoing support to the work of these Competent Authorities by sharing best practice material supplied by the European Commission on the recognition of Ukrainian professional qualifications. This includes working with and supporting these Authorities as they implement the Commission Recommendation on the recognition of qualifications for people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
These Competent Authorities have also been advised of information resources from NARIC (National Academic Recognition and Information Centre) Ireland that will assist in their work, alongside toolkits and resources developed by the EU and UNESCO to assist in dealing with cases where refugees do not have complete evidence or documentation of their qualifications.
The system for the regulation of professions and recognition of qualifications in Ireland is in line with EU standards.
1815. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 22 March 2023, if the business case document has been completed; if not, the proposed timeframe for completion; if the business case has been submitted to the Department of Finance for review; if not, when this is expected to happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16820/23]
View answerAs noted in my previous response, a business case has been prepared to support access to the single public service pension scheme for those researchers who are not currently able to join the scheme.
This business case has been submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan and Reform and is currently under review. This is an iterative process and, as such, it is not possible to provide a definitive timeline for the completion of this exercise, but officials continue to work to bring a resolution to this matter as soon as it is possible to do so.
1816. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will prioritise the establishment of an alternative learning service in the south Clondalkin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16842/23]
View answerMy Department has been advised by the Deputy's office that this question relates to Youthreach provision in the south Clondalkin area. The Youthreach programme aims to provide young early school leavers with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to participate fully in society and progress to further education, training and employment.
My officials have contacted Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) regarding this matter. DDLETB has three Youthreach Centres in Clondalkin and Lucan area, one in Clondalkin Village with 50 places, another YES Centre in Neilstown with 25 places and one in Lucan Village with 37 places. Youthreach enrolments are still recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly as there are places available within the existing provision, there are no plans to provide additional youthreach capacity in the Clondalkin area.
As the Deputy will be aware my Department gave approval in August 2022 to appoint a Design Team to develop proposals for the Adult Education and Youth Centre in Clondalkin. My Department is advised by SOLAS that the ETB have tendered for this Design Team and are awaiting conclusion of the procurement process. Once this procurement is finalised, and the Design Team are appointed, my Department and SOLAS will meet with the ETB, and review their proposals.
1817. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the Minister of State within his Department visited University of Malaya during his recent visit to Malaysia for St. Patrick’s Day. [16934/23]
View answerMy schedule did not include a visit to the University of Malaya but I did visit the Universiti Teknologi MARA, the largest higher education institution in Malaysia. In addition, I also had a bilateral meeting with the Malaysian Minister for Higher Education, Khaled Nordin, where, inter alia, we discussed the long-standing education links between Malaysia and Ireland, the role of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, and opportunities for enhanced academic exchanges and greater student mobility.
1818. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of the third-level institutions that have received or introduced free period products or funding for similar initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17084/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to “provide a range of free, adequate, safe, and suitable period products in all educational publicly-funded settings (including schools, colleges and HEIs), to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in their education by period poverty.”
Last year, a pilot was rolled out to nine further education and training colleges across six Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The pilot called ‘Worryfree’ delivered free, sustainable period products and dispensers for students in participating ETBs.
Some other ETBs and higher education institutions (HEIs) have introduced local period poverty pilots. For example, period poverty initiatives have been introduced in HEIs such as ‘Code Red’ in MTU, ‘Any time of the month’ in University Limerick (UL), Brigit’s Basket in the National College of Ireland (NCI) and the ‘End Period Poverty’ campaign in UCD.
The Department of Health has established a Period Poverty Implementation Group, with representation from most government departments, including my Department. The key objective of the Implementation Group is to achieve cross sectoral input and to co-ordinate oversight of both the Free Provision of Period Products Bill 2021 and implementation measures recommended in the Discussion Paper jointly published in January 2021 by Ministers O’Gorman and Donnelly.
My Department continues to work with the Department of Health on this matter, including working collaboratively on the development of a drawdown contract for the provision of period products in education establishments and other public institutions. It is anticipated that this new drawdown contract will be in place before the summer.
1819. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to increase the provision of student accommodation for students with disabilities in County Cork-third-level educational institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17262/23]
View answerI am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply.
These landmark policy responses will see the State providing financial support for the construction of student accommodation, and underpin the policy commitments set out in Housing for All.
In the short term, Government has approved funding to support development of 1,065 beds for students of the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University and the University of Galway which have planning permission granted or at an imminent stage, but are stalled.
These projects will see a percentage of the beds being offered at discounted rates, the support will be targeted at providing accommodation to defined target group students by providing them with accommodation at affordable below market rates.
My officials are also examining potential developments at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin, and University College Cork also has proposals in development.
These proposals are in addition to the 1,806 student accommodation beds delivered in the last year, with a further 929 beds due to open in Cork and Galway before the start of the next academic year. There are also 2,057 additional beds currently under construction, of which 981 are on site in Cork.
Support of €1m is also being provided to our Technological Universities (TUs) to conduct a needs assessment and my Department is examining the development of a TU Borrowing Framework in conjunction with other Government Departments, as part of the range of student accommodation initiatives underway.
As set out in the guidelines on Residential Developments for 3rd Level Students, developments should design a minimum of one out of every fifty, or part thereof, of the total number of bedspaces for students with disabilities. These rooms shall be fully wheelchair accessible complete with ensuite bathroom facilities. These guidelines can be found here www.gov.ie/en/publication/12f64e-guidelines-on-residential-developments-for-3rd-level-students/.
The Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations (2022) and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use (2022), set out the minimum statutory requirements that a building must achieve in respect of access and use by disabled persons. Part M of the regulations applies to public buildings and the common areas of apartment blocks.
Part M aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment. While the Part M requirements may be regarded as a statutory minimum level of provision, the accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate. The TGDs are available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/78e67-technical-guidance-document-m-access-and-use/. The design of purpose built student accommodation shall take these requirements and guidance into account.
Since 2011, housing for disabled people has been addressed in a dedicated joint Strategy between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Health. A new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 was launched in January 2022. The vision of the strategy is to facilitate disabled people to live independently with the appropriate choices and control over where, how and with whom they live, promoting their inclusion in the community. The strategy is available to read at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/.
My Department is engaged in the ongoing development of new longer term student accommodation policy responses including through standardised design specification templates and costing models to be developed in consultation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This will also be informed by ongoing analysis across Europe and internationally for best practice for the delivery and management of student accommodation.
In addition to the above, the fourth National Access Plan for Higher Education 2022-2028 was launched in August 2022 and sets out our ambition for an inclusive, diverse higher education sector over the 7 year period. The Plan sets a high level of ambition for the higher education system in supporting access, participation and success among students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, students with disabilities and students from the Irish Traveller & Roma communities. Our ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of persons on low income and those with special and additional needs.
1820. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to ensure further education and training colleges have student accommodation facilities, especially for students with disabilities. [17263/23]
View answerI am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of student accommodation projects had to be paused. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply.
These landmark policy responses will see the State providing financial support for the construction of student accommodation, and underpin the policy commitments set out in Housing for All.
In the short term, Government has approved funding to support development of 1,065 beds for students of the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University and the University of Galway which have planning permission granted or at an imminent stage, but are stalled.
My officials are also examining potential developments at UCD and TCD, and UCC also has proposals in development.
These proposals are in addition to the 1,806 student accommodation beds delivered in the last year, with a further 929 beds due to open in Cork and Galway before the start of the next academic year. There are also 2,057 additional beds currently under construction through private developments.
In addition to stimulating purpose built student accommodation my Department is encouraging the bringing on stream of additional units through minor capital grants, promotion of digs accommodation and utilisation of the rent a room scheme.
The recent extension to the rent a room scheme means that income generated is disregarded for social welfare and student grant assessment purposes. Approval was also given to disregard this income for medical card assessment purposes and also to allow Local Authority tenants to access the scheme.
There is currently no public purpose built student accommodation for students attending further education and training colleges. These colleges are operated by the 16 Education and Training Boards across the country and offer opportunities for students to pursue further education and training in their locality. Students who are eligible for FET training allowances can claim a travel allowance if they live 3 miles or more from the course centre.
1821. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to introduce a National Student Accommodation Policy and Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17358/23]
View answerI am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply.
These landmark policy responses will see the State providing financial support for the construction of student accommodation, and underpin the policy commitments set out in Housing for All and the National Access Plan.
In the short term, Government has approved funding to support development of 1,065 beds for students of the University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Maynooth University and the University of Galway which have planning permission granted or at an imminent stage, but are stalled.
My Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) are actively working through the financial and governance due diligence process for these projects and have contracted Mazars to undertake a feasibility study on these projects, in line with the Public Spending Code.
In addition, the Department is working with the Office of the Attorney General to address EU State Aid requirements.
My officials are also examining potential developments at UCD and TCD, and UCC also has proposals in development.
These proposals are in addition to the 1,806 student accommodation beds delivered in the last year, with a further 929 beds due to open in Cork and Galway before the start of the next academic year. There are also 2,057 additional beds currently under construction through private developments.
In parallel, longer term policy development is being advanced to examine a broader range of methods to increase supply of student accommodation. Support of €1m is also being provided to our Technological Universities (TUs) to conduct a needs assessment and my Department is examining the development of a TU Borrowing Framework in conjunction with other Government Departments, as part of the range of student accommodation initiatives underway.
In addition to stimulating purpose built student accommodation by higher education institutions my Department is encouraging the bringing on stream of additional units through minor capital grants, promotion of digs accommodation and utilisation of the rent a room scheme.
The recent extension to the rent a room scheme means that income generated is disregarded for social welfare and student grant assessment purposes. Approval was also given to disregard this income for medical card assessment purposes and also to allow Local Authority tenants to access the scheme.
My officials and I are continuing to work alongside our Government colleagues to examine these range of measures to assist students with accommodation.
The existing National Student Accommodation which was published under ReBuilding Ireland was introduced in 2017 and runs to 2024. The development of policy responses on State supported student accommodation will inform the next iteration of the National Student Accommodation Strategy.
1822. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to ensure that all third level education institutions operate blended learning models; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17373/23]
View answerHigher education institutions have taken significant steps to ensure that teaching and learning is enhanced by the integrated use of digital technologies, both on-campus and remotely. This is in line with the their statutory academic independence which includes the mode of delivery of programmes of study.
Many HEIs have been developing new blended learning programmes for validation. Such programmes need to be designed, delivered and assessed within an approved quality assurance framework developed by HEIs with reference to the Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines for Providers of Blended Learning Programmes. Programmes that are delivered partially or fully online, need to be developed with that mode of delivery in mind rather than merely being translated or transferred from the original face-to-face programme model.
HEIs are being supported in the operation of blended learning models through various initiatives and programmes. In 2022/23 the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education has provided €7.7m in funding through the Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) Fund to drive teaching and learning innovation and enhancement in three priority areas, one of which is digital transformation in higher education, including blended learning.
In addition to funding, the National Forum provides guidance and resources to support the implementation of blended learning models and fosters collaboration and sharing of best practice across the sector. The Forum's website features a range of resources and case studies, including guidance on the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning, guidance on assessment and feedback in blended learning, and guidance on designing and delivering effective online courses. The National Forum plays a critical role in supporting HEIs in Ireland to operate effective and sustainable blended learning models that meet the needs of their students and staff.
The fourth National Access Plan, 2022 to 2028, places an emphasis on student- centred goals, including flexibility. It aims to support students to study on a flexible basis including part-time and blended learning, and identifies connectivity supports for remote learning. This is a seven-year plan with an additional dedicated investment of €35 million over the course of the plan.
1823. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the progress made to date with respect to the development of a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17723/23]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has given approval to SOLAS in August 2022 for the relevant ETB to appoint a Design Team to develop proposals for Youthreach provision in the building referenced.
My Department is advised by SOLAS that the ETB have tendered for this Design Team and are awaiting conclusion of the procurement process
Once this procurement is finalised and the Design Team are appointed, my Department and SOLAS will meet with the ETB, and review their proposals.
