Written Answers Nos. 135-149
135. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of craft apprenticeship places that are planned for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45574/23]
View answerThere are no restrictions on the number of apprentices that can be registered each year, as the system is demand-led. The current buoyant labour market and 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 apprenticeship system is now responding to a marked increase in demand over the past 4 years.
My Department is working closely with SOLAS and the ETBs to continue to increase training capacity, resulting in 13,000 craft places delivered in 2022. It is intended to deliver some 15,300 places in total this year. With additional funding of €67 million now secured through Budget 2024, I expect training capacity to increase to 16,000 places in 2024 – an increase approaching 25%.
SOLAS, the National Apprenticeship Office and the ETBs, together with staff representatives, are continuing to work intensively with my Department to deliver the required additional apprenticeship training capacity to secure the reductions in waiting time for off-the-job training, in particular for phase 2 training.
This funding will support the delivery of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship’s ambition of 10,000 annual registrations by 2025. It will also support skills development in key areas, especially in construction skills, and assist with achieving delivery of Government commitments on Housing for All, and the Climate Action Plan.
136. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the number of completed apprenticeships across counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal per year between 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2023; the support mechanisms that are in place to keep apprentices within the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45639/23]
View answerThe ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’ sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship accessible to employers and learners. The ambitions of the Plan spans both financial and non-financial measures.
Significant financial supports to employers that have been introduced include:
• The annual Employer Grant of €2,000 per apprentice means that employers of all apprentices now have access to financial support, either through direct payment of allowances to apprentices or through the grant.
• The gender-based bursary of €2,666 is available for those who employ apprentices in the minority gender on any national apprenticeship programme with greater than 80% representation of a single gender.
Non-financial supports to employers introduced include:
• The One More Job initiative provides tailored financial and training supports to Irish micro- and small-businesses who employ one or more apprentices in 2023.
• Free online mentoring for employers new to training apprentices, grants towards training costs, and guidance from the One More Job team during the first year of training.
Supports available to apprentices includes:
• The student contribution applies annually to all free fee eligible students and the current rate is €3,000 per annum. Budget 2024 ensures that apprentices will specifically benefit from a one-third reduction in the Apprenticeship Student Contribution Fee in the 2023/24 academic year
• Budget 2024 provides for additional funding of €400,000 for a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups
• A ‘Facts, Faces, Futures’ campaign launched this year aims to ensure that every girls’ school in the country has access to comprehensive information and briefings on apprenticeship options
• Facts: Apprenticeship is packed with diverse role models and women’s success stories, and growing numbers of women apprentices and graduates of the apprenticeship route
• Faces: They are employers, chefs, craftspeople, cyber security specialists, international financial analysts, creators, team members, leaders
• Futures: More and more girls in school can take inspiration from these role models, seeing what they can be and shaping their future careers
Building on the measures taken over 2021-23, Budget 2024 provides €67m additional investment into the apprenticeship system. This will allow craft apprenticeship to continue to grow from 13,000 places in 2022 to over 16,000 places in 2024.
Across the counties of Sligo, Leitrim, and Donegal specifically, for the overall period since 2018, a total of 563 apprentices have completed their apprenticeship programmes . Of these -
• For consortia-led apprenticeships, there have been 86 apprentice completers between 2018-22, and a further 20 completers so far this year.
• For craft apprenticeship programmes, there have been 374 apprentice completers between 2018-22, and a further 83 apprentice completers in 2023.
Additionally, during the overall period from 2018 to the end of September 2023, there was a total of 2,342 apprentice registrations across the Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim ETB and the Donegal ETB.
Breakdowns of the aforementioned apprenticeship completion and registration figures by year and educational institution are included in the attached document.
I am satisfied that these measures and supports will have a significant impact in ensuring greater capacity and uptake in the apprenticeship system both in the north-west region of Sligo-Leitrim-Donegal and nationally.
137. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 21 September 2023, for a status update on the proposed new further education college in Galway city; the status of the development of the preliminary business case; if it has been completed and returned to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45733/23]
View answerGalway Roscommon ETBs (GRETB) strategic proposal is to develop a new state-of-the-art FET campus on a site adjacent to its Mervue Training facility. The aim of the proposal is to not only facilitate the strengthening of Further Education and Training provision in Galway City but also in the wider region due to its close proximity to the training centre in Mervue, the Atlantic Technological University and the University of Galway.
Following my update to the Deputy in September of this year, SOLAS has continued to work closely with GRETB and all other successful ETBs during the development phase of their proposals.
The original date for receipt by SOLAS of the preliminary business case submissions was the 30th of September, however ETBs have sought additional time and will now have until the 12th of January 2024 to submit their completed preliminary business cases.
I remain firmly committed to supporting Further Education Institutes and the wider sector in achieving their vision for FET education and provision and ensuring that we have the appropriate infrastructure to support our learners and teaching staff.
In this regard, last month my Department gave approval to appoint a design team under the Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund for two proposals put forward by GRETB in Petersburg and Mervue. The investment in Petersburg will support the development of a number of courses including a specialist arboreal apprenticeship provision while the project in Mervue involves the creation of a Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Hub.
138. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will give an update on any progress made to resolve the terms and conditions of employment of personal assistants who work in some Education and Training Boards; if he will provide a timeline for when the issue is expected to be resolved; if he will outline the engagement he and his Department has had with others in relation to the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45366/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a number of Education and Training Boards have employed personal assistants to provide supports to learners under the Fund for Students with Disabilities. Officials in my Department and I have engaged with a variety of stakeholders on this issue, including SOLAS, FÓRSA, the ETBs and have met with a number of Personal Assistants also.
Budget 2024 includes €2m to expand the scope of the Fund for Students with Disabilities in the further education and training sector beyond PLC provision currently. SOLAS is carrying out an internal review of learner supports and associated guidelines and my Department has requested SOLAS to examine the provision of personal assistant services under the FSD as part of its review. I anticipate this matter will form part of the outcome of that process.
139. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how further education learners have been prioritised in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45580/23]
View answerThe package of measures announced in Budget 2024 will break down cost barriers, making further education more accessible for more people than ever before.
PLC learners eligible for SUSI grants will benefit from the increases announced in the maintenance grant rates and student grant income thresholds. Building on our decision to abolish the €200 PLC Levy from the 2022/23 academic year, we are removing PLC fees with effect from September 2024.
FET learners in receipt of training allowances based on their previous social welfare entitlements will receive increases in line with the increases announced in social welfare payments.
We will expand the scope of the Fund for Students with Disabilities to help students with disabilities access further education and training beyond PLC provision currently. We are committing an additional €1m to the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy to ensure that every adult in Ireland has the literacy, numeracy and digital literacy to full participate in society. We are supporting prisoners by providing €1m to the Building Bridges initiative. We are delivering on our Programme for Government commitment to provide a range of free period products in all educational publicly funded settings to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in their education by period poverty.
We are providing €15m in 2024 to support the continued provision of English languages courses to support Ukrainians integrate fully into Irish society.
A €3m additional allocation in 2024 will build on the progress made across the three core pillars of building skills, fostering inclusion, and facilitating pathways set out in the FET Strategy Future FET, Transforming Learning 2020-2024.
These measures will have a real and positive impact on further education learners.
140. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the total allocation of capital grants (devolved capital grant and the further education capital grants) to the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45529/23]
View answerThe National Development Plan (NDP) published in 2021 provided clarity on Departmental capital ceilings for the period 2022 – 2025. A dedicated capital envelope was established for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector, amounting to €300 million over the decade 2018-2027. Available funding has increased from €5.5 million in 2018 to €17.5 million in 2020 and a planned investment of €59.5 million in 2023.
Funding for FET capital works is distributed to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) under a number of funding streams via established application processes, new programme calls announced in 2022 and through devolved funding programmes.
FET funding includes the Emergency Health and Safety Works Grant, to address emergency, health and safety works; the Devolved Capital Allocation which allows ETBs to address a range of small-scale projects at a local level and the Apprenticeship Fund with capital investment primarily for extensive equipment requirement for craft apprenticeships, to delivery off-the-job training in ETB training centres.
Regarding the FET Devolved Capital Grant Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board has received just over €724,500 to date from the 2023 FET capital allocation.
141. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has undertaken any research to determine what students in what faculties or courses are most and least likely to emigrate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44816/23]
View answerThe tertiary education and training system is designed to ensure that learners and graduates are enabled to flourish, both here in Ireland and abroad. Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) not only works to ensure the quality and integrity of national awards but also that those awards are, and remain, recognised internationally.
The existing International Education Strategy highlights the importance and value in today’s global market of the movement of learners and graduates, both into and out of the state. Movement may happen for career advancement, professional development, engagement with international research opportunities among other reasons. Work is well advanced on a successor strategy and I plan to publish this by year end.
Although my Department has not undertaken or commissioned any comparative research into the likelihood of emigration of learners and how this might vary by faculty or by course studied, a range of information sources are utilised to monitor the outcomes of graduates from the tertiary system, including outcomes relating to international mobility.
Collaboration between the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has resulted in the release of a series of longitudinal graduate outcomes reports, with data available for graduate destination one and five years after study, broken down by broad field of study and also by institution. These reports are publicly available on the CSO website at www.cso.ie.
A more immediate outcomes report is published annually by the HEA and capturing the position of graduates nine months following graduation. The Graduate Outcomes Survey asks respondents whether they are engaged in employment or pursuing further study and, critically, whether this is in Ireland (including Northern Ireland) or overseas. As with much of the HEA’s statistics, detailed information is published online on their website www.hea.ie, both in the form of interactive dashboards, and as reports, in the form of ongoing ‘info-byte’ publications.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) also publish migration estimates which indicate overall net inward migration.
142. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how Budget 2024 will invest in apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45536/23]
View answerThrough Budget 2024, I am continuing to invest in our apprenticeship system. Apprenticeships have a crucial role to play in meeting Ireland’s skills needs now and into the future, and significantly contribute to meeting the Government’s commitments on Housing for All, and the Climate Action Plan.
An additional core €67m investment will help to grow the apprenticeship system, and in particular will allow craft apprenticeship to move from providing 13,000 places in 2022 to over 16,000 places in 2024, and reduce the length of time an apprentice waits for training.
Furthermore, I want to make apprenticeship an attractive career path and one that is accessible for all young people. In that regard, I am delighted to confirm that there will be increased funding of €400,000 for a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups. It is proposed that the funding will support apprenticeship learners in all ETBs and at TUS Limerick and Athlone, MTU, ATU Galway and TU Dublin.
More broadly, I recognise the impact that the cost of living is having on our apprentices. This is why I am particularly pleased that apprentices will benefit from €3.8m to enable a one-third reduction in the Apprenticeship Student Contribution Fee for those attending higher education institutions in the 2023/24 academic year. This is targeted at relieving the immediate pressure associated with making this payment. It is anticipated that circa 11,000 apprentices in higher education will benefit from this measure.
143. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the total allocation of capital grants (devolved capital grant and the further education capital grants) to the Tipperary Education and Training Board in 2023; the proposed allocation for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45535/23]
View answerThe National Development Plan (NDP) published in 2021 provided clarity on Departmental capital ceilings for the period 2022 – 2025. A dedicated capital envelope was established for the Further Education and Training (FET) sector, amounting to €300m over the decade 2018-2027. Available funding has increased from €5.5 million in 2018 to €17.5 million in 2020 and a planned investment of €59.5 million in 2023.
Funding for FET capital works is distributed to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) under a number of funding streams via established application processes, new programme calls announced in 2022 and through devolved funding programmes.
FET funding includes the Emergency Health and Safety Works Grant, to address emergency, health and safety works; the Devolved Capital Allocation which allows ETBs to address a range of small-scale projects at a local level and the Apprenticeship Fund with capital investment primarily for extensive equipment requirement for craft apprenticeships, to delivery off-the-job training in ETB training centres.
Regarding the FET Devolved Capital Grant I wish to advice of my announcement earlier this month of €5.4 million. This followed an Expression of Interest process, approved by my Department in early summer, with over 120 suitable projects identified. This approval was in addition to the annual allocation of €8 million distributed in April to the ETBs.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the Tipperary Education and Training Board has received almost €550,000 to date from the 2023 FET capital allocation.
My Department’s overall allocation under the National Development Plan for Further Education and training in 2024 is €66m a further significant increase on previous years.
146. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the way PhD students are to receive extra support following Budget 2024; if he anticipates an increase in the number of PHD students as a result; his targets, if any, with respect to the number of PhD students in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45030/23]
View answerIn November 2022, I appointed Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney to undertake an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers.
In their first report, the Co-Chairs recommended an increased stipend toward an optimum level of €25,000, subject to funding availability.
Under Budget 2024, I am increasing the PhD stipends provided by the competitive funding agencies under my Department (Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council), to bring them to €22,000 per student per year.
I also secured the full restoration of student maintenance grants for postgraduate students from September 2024, helping all eligible students at this level in need of support. A pro-rata increase will be effective from January 2024 and there will also be a €1,000 increase to the postgraduate fee contribution grant, bringing it up to €5,000.
According to the latest statistics from the Higher Education Authority, there were just over 1,500 PhD graduates in 2022. The purpose of these increased supports is to contribute to the quality of the PhD candidate experience, rather than to increase the quantity of candidates. These measures progress the Impact 2030 vision to build on Ireland’s reputation as an Island of Talent and a location for research excellence and impact.
147. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are any plans to shorten the length of time an apprentice waits for training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45552/23]
View answerIt is this Government’s ambition to right-size apprenticeship capacity in line with labour market demands, the ambitions of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship, and in support of Government objectives under Housing For All, retrofitting, and green skills.
As a demand-led system, there are no restrictions on the number of apprentices that can register. The apprenticeship system is currently responding to a marked increase in demand over the past four years, driven by increasing overall tertiary sector demand, legacy training provision backlogs from the pandemic, and growing demand for skills associated with areas such as construction.
I am fully aware that many craft apprentices are not progressing through their training in line with typical waiting periods. In August this year, 7,578 apprentices were waiting for off-the-job training. Of these 5,257 were waiting longer than six months.
Given these delays, we have to align training capacity with continued strong demand and also implement other measures which will add further capacity.
My Department is working closely with SOLAS and the ETBs to continue to increase training capacity, resulting in 13,000 craft places delivered in 2022. It is intended to deliver some 15,300 places in total this year. With additional funding of €67 million now secured through Budget 2024, I expect training capacity to increase to 16,000 places in 2024 – a significant increase in capacity.
In order to further accelerate and intensify the delivery of increased training capacity, my Department is working on an ongoing basis with SOLAS, the National Apprenticeship Office, the Higher Education Authority, the ETB sector, and union representatives. Through weekly meetings, we are working to devise and successfully implement a funded set of actions to address this very significant and important issue.
148. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how many students have started on the new farming apprenticeship in a school (details supplied) respectively; how his Department plans to increase places on apprenticeship programmes such as this moving forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45551/23]
View answerThe ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’ sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship more accessible to employers and learners. Expansion to date has widened the impact of apprenticeship to areas of skills shortage such as agriculture, engineering, technology skills, logistics, and fintech. It will also support skills development in key areas, especially in construction skills, and assist with achieving delivery of Government commitments on Housing for All, and the Climate Action Plan.
2021 figures showed 8,607 registrations – an increase of 40% on figures for 2019 (the last full pre-Covid year). 2022 saw 8,286 registrations and a population of over 26,000, and this strong growth in apprentice registrations is continuing into 2023, with over 6,000 registrations by end-September. The population is currently over 26,200 apprentices.
The Agriculture and Horticulture sector is a thriving area of expansion in apprenticeships. Arboriculture has been available since 2020, joined in May this year by Sportsturf Management. In August, I announced the launch of three additional apprenticeships – Farm Manager, Farm Technician, and Horticulture. In the pipeline, there is also an apprenticeship in Stud Farm Management in development.
In terms of the roll out of the current programmes, I can advise the following latest updates:
• The registration process for both the Farm Technician and the Farm Manager programme is still in progress for some employers and apprentices.
• The first block release date for the Farm Manager Apprenticeship will be 4 December. The Farm Manager Apprenticeship is being co-ordinated by Teagasc Kildalton College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny.
• Dates are to be confirmed for the Farm Technician first block release. This apprenticeship will be coordinated from Teagasc Clonakilty College, Co. Cork.
• Meanwhile, the Horticulture Apprenticeship is being coordinated by Teagasc - National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin; the Sportsturf Management Apprenticeship is being coordinated by Teagasc Kildalton College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny; and the Arboriculture Apprenticeship is coordinated by the Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board.
The ambitious target of 10,000 new apprentice registrations per annum by 2025 underlines this Government’s commitment to reforming the position of apprenticeship in the wider education and training sector.
The Government aims to significantly increase the footprint of apprenticeship within the education landscape, ensuring that apprenticeships are open and accessible and are seen as a viable and exciting path to skills and a qualification.
149. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the assistance that is available for students and their parents who cannot avail of SUSI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45528/23]
View answerFirstly, I would like to inform the Deputy that from this academic year, the income threshold to avail of a Student Contribution grant has been increased from €62,000 to €100,000, opening the Scheme up to a significant number of additional students and their families.
In addition for 2023/2024 the Student Contribution charge has been reduced by €1000 for free fees eligible students.
Budget 2024 provided for a once-off further €8.1 million of funding for the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for this academic year. This increases available funding for the SAF to over €17m. Students in third-level institutions can apply for SAF to help with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties and can be assisted towards their rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. It is open to both full and part-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification.
In addition, the Rent Tax Credit is increasing to €750 per individual and €1,500 per jointly assessed couple for 2024 and 2025. Payments made by parents in respect of “digs” or rent-a-room arrangements for their children to attend an approved course will now qualify for the Rent Tax Credit. This is provided the claimant and their child are not related to the landlord. This change will apply retrospectively for the years 2022 and 2023.
I would encourage prospective students who may be in financial difficulties to discuss what supports may be available with the Access officer of the institution they attend.
