Parliamentary questions

Grant Payments

Louise O'Reilly

701. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the SUSI grant will be rolled out for part-time courses from September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17562/24]

Third Level Education

Louise O'Reilly

702. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the closure of a college (details supplied) and the impact it is having on students and their families; and if he will engage with students on the Bachelor of Education in Montessori (early years) Education course to find alternative options to complete their degrees. [17581/24]

Grant Payments

Patrick Costello

703. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the grants or scholarships available to Irish students studying for masters degrees in UK institutions. [17591/24]

Period Poverty

Francis Noel Duffy

704. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, following the success of his pilot scheme of free period products in further education/training centres, his Department has engaged with the Minister for Health on the rollout of free period products in universities and the wider third level sector. [17628/24]

Research and Development

Brian Leddin

705. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to list the members of the Steering Group, Implementation Forum and Advisory Forum of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy; and whether minutes of the meeting of each body are published online. [17636/24]

Medical Research and Training

Mairéad Farrell

706. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans or actions he has taken to attain membership of the European Infrastructure for Translational Medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17664/24]

Third Level Education

Mark Ward

707. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what options are available to an Irish student (details supplied) whose studies were impacted by Covid lockdowns; what avenues are available to her to complete her course; if the Department will intervene on her behalf to allow her to continue her studies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17673/24]

Third Level Education

Mairéad Farrell

708. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of all universities identifying whether each has run a surplus or deficit for the financial year 2023, the value of this surplus or deficit and the change from the financial year 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17676/24]

Further and Higher Education

Peadar Tóibín

709. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action he is taking to retain current and future personnel in the construction sector, and from being recruited internationally; the number of graduates and those employed in the construction sector who have emigrated in each of the past five years, by general trade and specialist category in the industry; the number of the same cohort who returned to Ireland in that time period, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17868/24]

Third Level Education

Neasa Hourigan

710. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the work of his Department to secure places for students from this jurisdiction in medical schools in Northern Ireland; whether he has ensured that these students would then be eligible to apply to work in the HSE on graduation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17898/24]

Third Level Admissions

James Lawless

711. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to examine an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17944/24]

Education and Training Provision

John Brady

314. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of staff employed in the delivery of English language classes to IPAS and BOTPs in Ireland, by area, and on a monthly basis, for the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17107/24]

Education and Training Provision

John Brady

315. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of IPAS and BOTPs who are receiving English language classes, on an area-by-area and monthly basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17108/24]

Qualifications Recognition

Paul Kehoe

316. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the process by which a person can have their professional qualification (details supplied) recognised by the NFQ in line with recognition of similar awards from 17 September 2007 to 6 November 2012, which are recognised by HETAC as equivalent to an award at level 9 on the framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17151/24]

Grant Payments

Pauline Tully

317. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider changing the eligibility criteria for the student grant scheme to enable students whose family was granted legal residency in Ireland through the regularisation of long-term undocumented migrants scheme to apply using the total number of years they lived in Ireland, including when they were undocumented. [17239/24]

Departmental Reports

Thomas Pringle

171. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will extend the deadline for sectoral input responses to a report (details supplied), as the request to ETBI on 22 March, with a deadline of 25 March, is a timeline that appears wholly inadequate to facilitate valid sectoral feedback and input; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16764/24]

Departmental Reports

Jennifer Whitmore

172. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on the timeline for completion of a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16798/24]

Departmental Reviews

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

173. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the review of the status of PhD researchers, that is, their classification as either students or employees, will be published. [16843/24]

Period Poverty

Neasa Hourigan

174. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to ensure all third-level educational institutions provide free period products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16892/24]

Period Poverty

Patrick Costello

175. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ensure that higher education institutions are sufficiently resourced to be able to provide free on-campus sanitary products to their students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16948/24]

Further and Higher Education

John Brady

753. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what current English language support classes are in place for IPAs and BOTPs; how are they being delivered; the cost of same, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16180/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

754. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the crisis that has now arisen in Ireland's study abroad sector where visiting international students are not able to source accommodation as the investment fund-owned providers of purpose-built student accommodation has brought in 51-week leases, and the students' home universities are not in a position to pay the cost of the additional ten-to-12-week leases; if his Department has conducted any analysis of the impact these 51-week leases could have on the study abroad sector, which is worth €220 million per annum to the economy and employs 350 staff members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16040/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Rose Conway-Walsh

755. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of new registrations for apprenticeships, broken down by consortia and craft; the total number of consortia and craft apprentices currently registered; the number of apprentices currently waiting to access off-site training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16159/24]

Further and Higher Education

Kathleen Funchion

756. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a SUSI application by person (details enclosed) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16236/24]

Student Unions

Bríd Smith

757. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that a students’ union (details supplied) recently launched a petition calling for the Government to provide free period products in all higher education institutions, which has now almost 3,000 signatures; if he will commit to increasing funding in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16323/24]

Further and Higher Education

Niamh Smyth

758. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if funding is available for Irish citizens studying in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16330/24]

Further and Higher Education

Alan Kelly

759. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of approved PLC places in County Tipperary in the years of 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [16414/24]

Further and Higher Education

Carol Nolan

760. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what arrangements or pathways are in place to assist beneficiaries of temporary protection or international protection applicants in accessing the CAO application system; the number of persons in each category that have been assisted from 2019 to date; what grants are available to enable participation of persons in both categories in further and higher education; if such grants or financial supports are means tested; the total value of the grants or financial assistance provided during this time period to both BoPT CAO applicants and IPAS CAO applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16425/24]

Further and Higher Education

Seán Haughey

761. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the recent announcement concerning the closure of a college (details supplied); if he will intervene to assist these students to continue their courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16448/24]

Student Unions

Cian O'Callaghan

762. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will extend the roll-out of free period products to all higher education institutions including universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16537/24]

Student Unions

Richard Boyd Barrett

763. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ensure that the pilot project to provide free period products is extended to a permanent scheme and is put in place for all further and higher education institutions as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16542/24]

Departmental Reports

Ivana Bacik

764. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the timeline for publishing the report on recommendations for standardised design of student accommodation in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16646/24]

Departmental Communications

Ivana Bacik

765. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the timeline for publishing the Action Plan in response to the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs report on modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/24]

Student Accommodation

Ivana Bacik

766. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress on approving student accommodation schemes, in light of the approval of the long-term student accommodation policy approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16661/24]

Technological Universities

David Cullinane

262. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will permit technological universities the same borrowing privileges as National University of Ireland constituent colleges, in particular to access lower-cost funding for the construction of student accommodation, rather than being reliant on private development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15796/24]

Technological Universities

David Cullinane

263. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the new engineering building for the South East Technological University; the reasons for the fifteen-year delay in the delivery of this project; the nature of complications which have been mentioned in relation to this project; when it is anticipated that this development will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15797/24]

Third Level Fees

Paul Murphy

264. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 179 of 21 February 2024, if he will ensure that the university accepts that the person should be on the Irish/EU rate since they first applied for IPO, and that the university accepts the €6,750 he paid as payment for his first and second year of the degree; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15803/24]

Public Sector Pay

Alan Kelly

265. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when it is intended to pay all employees in higher education institutions the recently agreed pay increase of 2.25% backdated to 1 January 2024; if he will ensure that sufficient funding is provided to HEIs to meet the increased pay costs; and if he will confirm that there will be no delay in paying the increased rate of pay at University College Cork and at TU Dublin despite the current financial difficulties being faced in these HEIs. [15881/24]

Third Level Education

Alan Kelly

266. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if all capital projects at University College Cork are currently subject to review by the HEA; and what start and completion dates are anticipated for the new Cork University Business School Building and the new Cork Dental School Building. [15882/24]

Third Level Education

Alan Kelly

267. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if University College Cork has submitted its 2022/2023 annual accounts to the Higher Education Authority; and when it is anticipated that the Annual Accounts will be published. [15883/24]

Third Level Education

Alan Kelly

268. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of money paid by University College Cork to the UCC Academy in the financial year 2022/2023 for services provided. [15884/24]

Third Level Education

Alan Kelly

269. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total amount of money paid by University College Cork to off campus restaurants for hospitality for the financial year 2022/2023. [15885/24]

Third Level Education

Alan Kelly

270. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total amount of money paid by University College Cork for travel accommodation and subsistence for employees for the financial year 2022/2023. [15886/24]

Official Engagements

Catherine Murphy

187. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he is next scheduled to meet the CEO of the Higher Education Authority. [15545/24]

Youth Services

Mick Barry

1674. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to align the number of days per year in Youthreach with second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13621/24]

Education and Training Boards

Mick Barry

1675. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the ratio of pro rata teachers and resource persons for each of the 16 ETBs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13622/24]

Youth Services

Mick Barry

1676. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if Garda vetting is required for Youthreach students undertaking work placements/experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13623/24]

Youth Services

Mick Barry

1677. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to implement and direct Youthreach centres to deliver QQI modules that are work experience focused and guidelines on work placement for students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13624/24]

Youth Services

Mick Barry

1678. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will acknowledge that in Youthreach Centres students are allowed "movement breaks" as advocated by the National Council for Special Education NCSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13625/24]

Youth Services

Mick Barry

1679. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he accepts that students in Youthreach require midterm pedagogical breaks at least every six to seven weeks, as is the case in second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13626/24]