Parliamentary questions

Public Sector Pay

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

278. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 1695 of 9 April 2024, to report on the progress made with respect to outstanding backdated payments under the section 39 WRC pay agreement; when he expects that any payments still outstanding will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22246/24]

Departmental Contracts

Peadar Tóibín

144. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of publicly funded contracts awarded to a company (details supplied) by his Department in each of the past ten years; the cost of each contract; and the purpose for which each contract was awarded. [18662/24]

Information and Communications Technology

Louise O'Reilly

145. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the capital investment in computer and data infrastructure, by investment, in each of the years since 2011, in tabular form. [21991/24]

Educational Disadvantage

Paul Kehoe

146. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if any efforts are being made to accelerate the approval process for Reach funding to enable applicants to plan community education programmes in advance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22030/24]

Further and Higher Education

John Brady

318. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what funding and supports are available to students studying psychotherapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20946/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mark Ward

319. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the widow's pension is classified as reckonable income when applying for the SUSI grant, as according to SUSI, the widow's grant is not reckonable income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20994/24]

Further and Higher Education

Carol Nolan

320. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for details of the number of students in higher education who are living with sight loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21078/24]

Energy Conservation

Darren O'Rourke

646. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the 2023 and 2024 budget allocation for near zero energy building training centres of excellence; and the amount of that budget that has been spent. [20162/24]

Further and Higher Education

Darren O'Rourke

647. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has received the 2023 Annual Report and 2023 Audited Financial Statement from SOLAS; and if not, when his Department expects to receive same. [20163/24]

Education and Training Boards

Seán Canney

648. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an indication of the composition of the operational guidelines working group operating under the auspices of Education and Training Boards Ireland; if there is sectorial input from staff currently working within ETB Youthreach designated centres and community training centres that provide the Youthreach programme; how the input data are being gathered; if those data are being gathered through the extended Education and Training Boards Ireland-issued follow-up sectoral response survey last month to the 16 ETBs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20197/24]

Public Sector Pay

Alan Kelly

649. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason the pay increase of 2.25% backdated to 1 January 2024 was not paid to employees of University College Cork in the end of April payroll, despite the assurance that he gave in Parliamentary Question No. 265 of 11 April 2024 that his officials had instructed HEIs on 4 April 2024 to apply the revised rates of salary and allowances. [20221/24]

Departmental Staff

Carol Nolan

650. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of employees within his Department and bodies under the aegis of his Department who are currently suspended on full pay pending disciplinary investigations; to outline, in tabular form, the length of time these employees have been under suspension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20316/24]

European Union

Matt Carthy

651. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the EU programmes or funds outside of the multiannual financial framework that Ireland has paid into from the year 2014 to date; any receipts from same, by programme or fund, by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20357/24]

Departmental Inquiries

Louise O'Reilly

652. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he was first made aware that Ireland's national supercomputer, Kay, was due to reach its effective end of life in November 2023; why the State is now without a national supercomputer; and when a new national supercomputer will be in place and ready to use. [20603/24]

Departmental Inquiries

Louise O'Reilly

653. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the impact of the lack of a national supercomputer and how this impacts the State's ability to attract the next-generation knowledge-intensive FDI. [20604/24]

Departmental Inquiries

Louise O'Reilly

654. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has concerns that the lack of a national supercomputer, which means Government Departments, State agencies, industry and academia instead have to use Luxembourg's supercomputer, will create delays and backlogs, and instead make organisations dependent on using private big tech, or else miss out on the latest wave of innovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20605/24]

Departmental Meetings

Paul Donnelly

655. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has visited DCU since his appointment as Minister. [20637/24]

Departmental Policies

Bernard Durkan

656. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if changes can be made to ensure that eligibility for a higher education grant is not based on parental income, with particular reference to students who were working but decided to return to education as mature students given that many students in these circumstances cannot afford to live independently but appear to be refused access to higher education funding due to their living with their parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20696/24]

Departmental Data

Róisín Shortall

657. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of places in each postgraduate public health nursing course, in each of the years since 2019, in tabular form; the number of applicants; the number of admissions; and the number of graduates. [20704/24]

Departmental Programmes

Paul Kehoe

658. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to confirm the total number of Youthreach centres that have work experience/placements as a component part of their programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20752/24]