Written Answers Nos. 1047-1066
1047. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the details of the new surgical hub planned in advance of the delivery of the new permanent elective hospital in Merlin Park; the total projected cost of the surgical hub; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40735/23]
View answerI have asked the HSE, which has responsibility for the delivery of the new Surgical Hubs, to respond to you directly in relation to developments in Galway.
1048. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health when the parents of a child (details supplied) can expect to receive services from the early intervention team in Buncrana; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40738/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1049. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will facilitate an appeal in relation to the awarding of a SUSI grant to a person (details supplied) who, due to their being abroad during the allowed appeal period, in line with Teaching Council requirements, has been unable to forward an appeal under the statutory provisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39486/23]
View answerA postgraduate fee contribution of €4,000 or a postgraduate fee grant, up to a maximum of €6,270 towards the cost of fees plus a maintenance grant is available to Postgraduate students pursuing an approved course. This is dependent on the level of a student's reckonable income.
To receive the Postgraduate fee grant plus a maintenance grant, students must meet the criteria for the Special Rate of Grant.
Under Section 20 (2), (3) of the Student Support Act 2011 an applicant has 30 days, from the date of notice of the determination of the awarding authority (SUSI), to appeal that determination to the SUSI Appeals Officer. This period may be extended by a further 30 days under Section 20 (4) of the Act if the Appeals Officer is satisfied that the applicant has given reasonable cause to do so.
In relation to the specific application referred to by the Deputy I have been advised by my officials that the student was first awarded the €4,000 Postgraduate Fee Contribution Grant on 25th April 2023.
On 4th May 2023, the student requested an internal review of her application as her father had retired in February 2022. Supporting documents were requested in relation to this and when reviewed it was determined that there was no change to the rate of grant previously awarded.
A Notice of Appeal from the applicant was received on 4th August 2023. As the appeal was not submitted within the statutory timeframe of 60 days from the date of the awarding authority's decision of 25th April 2023, the Appeals Officer was unable to accept it as an appeal. The applicant was notified of this in a letter sent to them on 8th August 2023.
Please be advised that the awarding authority does not have any discretion to extend the time period beyond that allowed for in the Act.
1050. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that an increase in the State contribution towards graduate entry medicine from a rate of €11,950 per student in the 2021/2022 academic year to a new rate of €14,500 has not led to a decrease in cost to the students, and that, combined with the withdrawal of the only graduate loan programme for such students, it has resulted in students applying overseas; what measures he intends to take to increase access to graduate medicine entry in view of the shortage of doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39515/23]
View answerIn considering the matters raised it is important to note that the total level of fees charged to Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) students is a matter for the higher education institutions (HEIs), consistent with the principle of their institutional autonomy.
The State contribution under reference is a funding subsidy provided, via the HEA, to HEIs towards the cost of provision for EU student places. The tuition fees payable by the student are determined by the HEIs taking the availability of this cost of provision subsidy into account.
My Department has been working to address the cost of GEM provision by increasing the subsidy paid to higher education institutions for provision of EU places. Budget 2023 saw a significant increase in the amount the State pays for medicine places, including graduate entry. As part of this agreement:
• The state contribution for new GEM places was set at €14,500 for 2022/23.
• For existing places, it was agreed that the State contribution towards GEM places would be gradually increased. The subsidy has already increased from a rate of €11,950 in the 2021/22 academic year to €12,100 per student in the 2022/23 academic year and will progressively increase over the coming years to the new rate of €14,500.
The fees payable by the student will continue to be determined by the institution attended. It is appreciated that students may be disappointed that the increased investment by the State, to improve sustainable provision of EU student places, has not reduced year on year costs for students.
The matter of health workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland is a major priority for my Department. In July 2022, alongside the Minister for Health, I announced an increase in medicine places for EU students in Irish Medical Schools.
The agreement reached with the medical schools led to an increase of 60 places in September 2022, climbing to 120 in September 2023, and up to 200 by 2026. This agreement includes Graduate Entry Medicine additional places. To date an additional 10 graduate entry places, 5 in 2022 and another 5 in 2023 have been created, with further additional places planned up to 2026.
1051. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39555/23]
View answer1064. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason for the delay in the completion of an apprenticeship by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; when the person can anticipate being offered the awaited off-the-job phase 4 training; the reason that this four-year apprenticeship is likely now to take closer to six years before being completed; the number of instructors that are currently employed to deliver this particular apprenticeship training in pipefitting; the reason that the backlog has not been dealt with online as was previously done during Covid; how his Department proposes to compensate apprentices for this delay in completing their apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39799/23]
View answer1066. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that a person (details supplied) has only been called for a one-off job education phase; and when they will be called for their next phase. [39830/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1051, 1064 and 1066 together.
The apprenticeship system provides a real and substantive career pathway for first time learners, it allows them to ‘earn while they learn’ whilst also combining practical hands on training with classroom learning.To date, the programmes on offer through this model have expanded to address areas of skills shortage such as engineering, technology, logistics, and fin-tech.
The current buoyant labour market, coupled with the recognition of apprenticeship as a valuable employment and skills development opportunity, is a welcome endorsement of this Government’s support of, and ambitions for, Apprenticeships in the tertiary sector.
The broader range of apprenticeship offerings and a growth in registrations, linked to the re-opening of the economy after the pandemic, created an apprentice population of 24,212 by the end of 2021. Strong registrations continued in 2022, with 8,286 registrations - an increase of 34% on the pre-Covid figure in 2019, and a population of 26,325 at year end. This trend has continued in 2023, with 4,711 registrations to end-August and a population of 25,409.
The increased popularity of apprenticeship, particularly in areas relating to construction, coupled with legacy backlogs from Covid related closures has meant ongoing delays in offering training.
There is a crucial requirement to align training capacity in ETBs with the continued strong demand for apprenticeships - with particular focus on apprenticeships linked to the construction sector - and also to put in place further measures which will add to capacity over the period required to respond to ongoing delays in apprenticeship training.
In August 2021, there were almost 12,000 apprentices awaiting off-the-job training. At the end of August this year, 7,578 apprentices were waiting for off-the-job training. Of these, 5,257 apprentices were waiting longer than six months.
The pipefitting apprentice referenced by the Deputy is one of 340 apprentices across the country waiting for phase 4 training at the end of August this year, of which 15 apprentices had been waiting for longer than 6 months.
Reducing the number of apprentices waiting for training has been an area of unrelenting focus for this Government.
During 2019, some 9,700 craft apprentices were being put through off-the-job training. This dropped to 7,000 in 2020 due largely to the impact of Covid, and returned to growth in 2021 with number of apprentices trained increasing to 7,300. My Department has worked closely with SOLAS and the ETBs to continue to increase training capacity, resulting in 13,000 places delivered in 2022, a very important step in responding to the challenge of apprentices waiting to access off-the-job training. It is intended to deliver some 15,300 places in total in 2023.
In order to further accelerate and intensify delivery of increased apprenticeship training capacity, a taskforce chaired by my Department composed of representatives of SOLAS, the National Apprenticeship Office, the Higher Education Authority, Education and Training Boards Ireland, the Education and Training Boards, and union representatives has been established with responsibility to implement successfully a set of actions to address this very significant and important issue.
1052. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how many instructors are employed nationwide to conduct pipefitting apprenticeship training (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39556/23]
View answerCurrently, Phase 2 Pipefitting training is delivered in Cork ETB and LMETB by two instructors. Phase 4 is currently delivered in LMETB and there is currently one workshop with one instructor delivering the training.
As of August 2023, the total population of Pipefitting apprentices is 329, 327 of whom are and 2 of whom are female.
1053. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if pipefitting apprenticeship training can be facilitated online, as was done during the pandemic (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39557/23]
View answerDuring the pandemic, when ETB training centres were closed, some apprentices moved to online learning for theory elements of their programme only. It was not possible to deliver practical training on any apprenticeship at that time as it requires the use of in-person instruction and the use of a workshop.
Craft apprenticeship programmes work through integrated theory and practical training to allow for the application of the theoretical training in a workshop setting. This is essential to the successful training of apprentices. Therefore, training of craft apprentices was immediately returned to the standard approach once the health restrictions relating to the pandemic were eased.
1054. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the projected timeframe for the completion of an apprenticeship (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39558/23]
View answerWork is under way to increase the level of training capacity across the apprenticeship system. In addition, an accelerated on-the-job process to reduce time gaps between off-the-job and on-the-job phases to assist with apprenticeship progression towards qualification is being implemented. At this stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion, but it is a priority to further grow the training capacity to ensure apprentices are trained within their minimum time period.
Under the Further Education and Training Act (2013), SOLAS has statutory responsibility for planning, funding, and co-ordinating Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland. My officials have referred your query to SOLAS and they have advised the applicant is likely to be called for Phase 4 in early January.
1055. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if apprentices who are delayed completing their apprenticeships will be compensated (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39559/23]
View answerThe development of further training capacity is being prioritised. We will continue to monitor the National Waiting Lists against apprentices currently waiting to be called to their Phase 4, off-the-job training?
Where an apprentice is, through no fault of their own, delayed in training, they can avail of a higher off-the-job training allowance while training. For example, an apprentice delayed at phase 2 off-the-job will receive a phase 4 training allowance. This practice may also apply to apprentices who have been delayed for phase 4 and phase 6 training.
1056. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if SUSI will be encouraged to reconsider the refusal of a higher education grant in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39576/23]
View answerUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means.
With regard to the specific application, I have been advised by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the position in this case is that the applicant previously holds a Level 8 qualification and is therefore not eligible for the student grant.
I would encourage the student in question to contact the access office and disability office in the institution they attend to consider what supports may be available including under the student assistance fund and the fund for students with a disability,
1057. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether any essential expenditure from an inheritance, such as the purchase of a car to travel to college, can be included in a SUSI means assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39608/23]
View answerArticle 24(6) of the Student Grant Scheme 2023 provides that gifts or inheritances received in the reference period are included as reckonable income. An applicant can, however, re-apply for subsequent years of their study as the inheritance amount is taken into account for one year only.
If any of the persons whose income is under consideration received a gift or an inheritance in the reference period, these are included in reckonable income, unless in the case of an independent student, the gift or inheritance was between the applicant and his or her spouse, civil partner or cohabitant; or in the case of a dependent student, the gift or inheritance was between parents or to the applicant from his or her parent(s). Expenditure from an inheritance, such as purchase of a car to travel to college is not counted as an income disregard for student grant purposes.
1058. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if an inheritance is only taken into account for a higher education grant in the year in which it is received; if not, if it is assessed as income throughout the individual's period of study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39633/23]
View answerArticle 24(6) of the Student Grant Scheme 2023 provides that gifts or inheritances received in the reference period are included as reckonable income. An applicant can, however, re-apply for subsequent years of their study as the inheritance amount is taken into account for one year only.
1059. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail the preparations being undertaken by his Department in advance of the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882); the guidance that is being issued by his Department to organisations and businesses in advance of the enactment of the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39669/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is being led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an important EU Directive that will introduce mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and services in the EU.
Officials in DCEDIY have noted that they have been working for a considerable period of time to coordinate transposition of this complex Directive with a range of Government Departments and public bodies. My Department notes the ongoing work and will work closely with officials to prepare for implementation of the Directive.
Once transposition is complete, that focus will shift to concerted efforts to prepare for implementation of the Directive by 28 June 2025. This work is expected to include interdepartmental and inter-agency consideration of operational procedures, capacity building, and outreach. While DCEDIY is coordinating transposition, implementation of the Directive will be advanced on a "mainstream first" basis, in line with the State’s commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means implementation and oversight of the Directive will be led by those mainstream organisations already engaged in the oversight of products and services, who will be best placed to lead on sectoral preparations and guidance, with support from DCEDIY and the National Disability Authority.
1060. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what action his Department is taking to attract people into motor mechanic apprenticeships, given there is a growing shortage of qualified motor mechanics in the motor industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39697/23]
View answerA key strength of the apprenticeship model is that it is an demand-led employer-driven approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. As such, the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by employers in any sector.
General expansion of apprenticeship as a route to career development is a key priority for Government. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out new ways of structuring, funding and promoting apprenticeships to make them more accessible to achieve a target of 10,000 annual registrations by 2025.
We are making significant progress in realising the ambition of the Plan. A key objective is to make apprenticeship more attractive to employers and learners, to ensure their continued engagement and to attract those who have not previously engaged with the system. Progress to date includes:
• The establishment of the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) and the National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA), delivering new governance and operational structures for the apprenticeship system.
• The establishment of the Access and Inclusion subcommittee of the NAA, to help make apprenticeship more reflective of the national population;
• Securing resources for access measures, including a bursary programme for under-represented groups;
• The introduction of the apprenticeship employer grant of €2,000 and a gender bursary grant of €2,666;
• The inclusion of apprenticeship options on the CAO website from November 2021, and supporting this, the launch of the NAO Freephone advice helpline
Many of these measures are specifically designed to increase engagement with apprenticeship, by both employers and potential apprentices.
The Motor Mechanic apprenticeship programme has shown consistently strong participation over the past five years. Details of registrations and population figures are included in the table below.
There has been a marked increase in the overall population of both the Agricultural Mechanics and the Heavy Vehicle Mechanics apprenticeship programmes, of 61% and 20% respectively, on the pre-Covid figures in 2019, as detailed below.
|
Motor Mechanics |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 YTD |
|
Population |
1306 |
1278 |
1450 |
1428 |
1366 |
|
Registrations |
408 |
310 |
502 |
431 |
265 |
The NAO will continue to drive central branding and promotional activities targeted to heighten public awareness of the range of apprenticeship offerings available. Visibility of programmes is being supported through the national Generation Apprenticeship campaign. This aims to increase awareness of apprenticeship opportunities across a broad audience of stakeholders including radio, digital, and billboard advertising. There is also continued engagement with regional vocational skills showcases.
1061. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider a lower threshold for SUSI qualification in respect of applicants from households in receipt of a widow's pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39721/23]
View answerStudent grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period.
The Widows’s/Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partner's pension are counted as reckonable income for the purposes of the student grant means test in a similar fashion to other Department of Social Protection payments such as Jobseekers Benefit/Allowance.
However, the Scheme has a number of measures aimed at supporting those who need assistance.
A higher rate of grant called the Special Rate of Grant is available to eligible students who's total reckonable income is under €25,000 in circumstances where that income includes an eligible long term payment as set out in the Student Grant Scheme.
The Widow's/Widowers and Surviving Civil Partner's pension are considered eligible long term payments under the Scheme. This means that families whose reckonable income is under €25,000 and includes one of these pensions may be eligible for the highest form of grant subject to meeting all other eligibility criteria including in respect of residence and nationality.
The Student Grant Scheme lists under Section 22 (4) a number of payments that are not included in calculating reckonable income. These mean that while actual family incomes may exceed €25,000 because the scheme does not count other specified income that the family may be in receipt of their reckonable income may be less for the purposes of eligibility. Some examples of income not counted include:
Child Benefit
Fuel Allowance
Exceptional Needs Payments
Housing Assistance Payments
Living alone allowance
Rent Supplement
The Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner Grant
In addition, student earnings earned outside of term time up to €6552 may be disregarded when calculating reckonable income. Additional income increments may also be allowable where a family has 4 or more children or have two or more children in college.
1062. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider extending SUSI supports to lone parents participating in part-time courses to help offset childcare costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39722/23]
View answerThe Student Grant Scheme is currently targeted at full-time students. Courses that are part-time, less than two years in duration, undertaken online or as distance courses, or which lead to a special purpose or distance award, are not currently approved for the Student Grant Scheme.
The Springboard+ and HCI initiatives funded by my Department do offer a number of part-time courses which are free or heavily subsidised courses and the student assistance fund and fund for students with a disability are available for eligible part-time students.
However, I have been consistent in my position that we need to develop our student support system over time to ensure that it supports more flexible forms of learning.
Through sectoral engagements, there is an increased recognition that supporting part-time, blended and postgraduate learning has the potential to transform access to learning in the medium term, once existing reform commitments are embedded within the sector.
That is why in the context of Budget 2024 my Department is currently considering options to provide greater support to part-time learners in higher education. The issue of expanding part-time delivery of third-level education in Ireland is complex and requires significant planning. Due to the level of complexity the creation of a pathfinder proposal is currently being developed by my Department.
The National Access Plan has called for more flexible forms of learning for target groups which would include lone parents and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. One of the key considerations for this year's budget is to reduce child poverty. We know that Education has the power to transform lives, lift people out of poverty and break down cycles of intergenerational poverty.
1063. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if advice will be provided in relation to this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39786/23]
View answerHigher Education Institutions determine their own procedures for admission. Neither I nor my Department have a role in these procedures, or the operation of the CAO, and it is not within my remit to intervene in individual cases.
TU Dublin is independent in its decision making on admissions. I cannot intervene in that decision. I would encourage the student to make contact with the institution involved.
1065. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on student grants (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39822/23]
View answerI recognise that third level education can be a significant cost for families and students. Under the Student Grant Scheme, "holiday earnings" is income that a student has earned outside of term time in the previous tax year, can be deducted from the total income assessed, up to a maximum level.
For students in the current academic year the maximum level that can be deducted has increased from €4,500 to €6,552.
It is important to say that the rationale for the policy approach of focusing on earnings outside of term time is to mitigate against students working so much during their third level education that it negatively impacts on their ability to fully participate in their course. This issue was highlighted most recently by the independent review of the Student Grant Scheme, which outlined that while there are many benefits to students engaging in some forms of employment, it is also important to recognise that working excessive hours can negatively impact a student's education experience and may result in them dropping out.
My Department has recently published an annual options paper on the cost of higher education which has explored the option of removing the provision which limits the deduction of holiday earnings outside of term time.
