Parliamentary questions

Medical Research and Training

Pádraig O'Sullivan

1706. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide insight into the Government’s perspective on Ireland’s possible membership with EATRIS, given its expected advantages for Ireland’s translational research community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15133/24]

Third Level Education

Seán Sherlock

1707. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide details of communications he has had or if he has met in person with a University President (details supplied) to address the financial deficit in the university; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15301/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Fergus O'Dowd

1708. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are plans for the further expansion of apprenticeship courses in Louth and Meath for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15328/24]

Third Level Education

Seán Sherlock

1709. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the plan to address the financial deficit at a university (details supplied) will be submitted to the Higher Education Authority; and when that plan will be published. [15350/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Ged Nash

328. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on the work of his Department on the provisions of the National Minimum Wage (Inclusion of Apprentices) Bill 2023 and based on the Government’s decision on a timed amendment to second stage of the Bill in the debate on the Bill in Seanad Éireann on 3 May 2023; if he will set out the next stage in the process of the Government’s consideration of the measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13420/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mairéad Farrell

329. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if option 1 (details supplied) was used for calculating the amount due for those in receipt of the award of no maintenance 50% SUSI contribution; if so, the reason option 2 was not considered which would have had a greater reduction in the net amount due; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13462/24]

International Students

Mairéad Farrell

330. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the restriction for international students becoming a sabbatical officer in a Union or as a society's auditor students due to Stamp 2 visas' terms of employment and engagement in business or trade, and if he has any plans to change this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13371/24]

Education and Training Boards

Mairéad Farrell

331. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science can he provide in tabular form the full list of ETBs broken down by county, and an email address for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13372/24]

Further and Higher Education

Brendan Smith

332. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the proposals, if any, there are to increase capacity and availability of courses in digital forensics, in view of the threats to society posed by the proliferation of misinformation through social media platforms and the need to tackle such abuses; if his Department is funding research into such issues; if so, the type of research; if it is in collaboration with other agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13483/24]

Further and Higher Education

Brendan Smith

333. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the current position regarding a proposed building project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13484/24]

Cross-Border Co-operation

Brendan Smith

334. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress to date in intensifying co-operation on a cross-Border and all-Ireland basis in further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13485/24]

Further and Higher Education

Brendan Smith

335. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the additional places proposed to be in place for the next academic year in medicine, nursing and other healthcare professions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13486/24]

Departmental Staff

Carol Nolan

1542. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has had the need to contact An Garda Síochána due to verbal, written (including electronically) or physical threats being addressed to staff or Ministers, at any level, working within the Department during the period 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11596/24]

Student Accommodation

Ged Nash

1543. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as to whether the cross-departmental project group to be formed to establish appropriate standards in the delivery of affordable, purpose built student accommodation, to be chaired by his Department, as announced on 17 August 2023 has met, its membership and chair, its progress to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11642/24]

Irish Language

Cathal Crowe

1544. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department provides funding opportunities that Irish PhD students undertaking their studies in the Irish language abroad can avail of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11663/24]

Irish Language

Michael Moynihan

1545. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to clarify if all higher education grant appeals, which were submitted prior to the establishment of SUSI, have been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11686/24]

Departmental Expenditure

Marian Harkin

1546. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 73 of 28 February of 2024, the amount of the €40 million relates to payment of social protection allowances which are transferred to training allowances once a person enrols in an STP/ETB programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12085/24]

Departmental Expenditure

Marian Harkin

1547. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason the fee to STP providers has not been increased since 2011, despite significant and inflationary pay pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12086/24]

Student Accommodation

Alan Dillon

1548. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are plans to tackle and halt the issue of private accommodation providers increasing rents significantly by refurbishing their student accommodation apartments at a location (details supplied), an issue that is causing undue stress for students and forcing them out of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12126/24]

Departmental Expenditure

John Brady

1549. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost to reduce the student contribution by €1,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12206/24]

Departmental Staff

Catherine Murphy

1550. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of exit and or severance and or redundancy packages granted by his Department, and bodies under his aegis and of bodies he funds in full or in part, of €100,000 and above but less that €200,000, by the amount and by each body in each of the years 2019 to 2023 and to date in 2024. [12351/24]

Departmental Schemes

Niamh Smyth

1551. 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 to their family on the way to access this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12364/24]

Departmental Schemes

Peadar Tóibín

1552. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 641 of 27 February 2024 (details supplied), if there is an estimated timeframe the Minster envisions for this scheme to be rolled out. [12443/24]

Departmental Schemes

David Cullinane

1553. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on efforts to establish a fees scheme for students resident in the State studying medicine in universities in the North; if this will include graduate entry programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12474/24]

Departmental Meetings

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

1554. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the Minister of State within his Department visited University of Pittsburgh during his recent visit to the US for St, Patrick's Day events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12570/24]

Departmental Funding

Pádraig O'Sullivan

1555. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if funding will be made available to a college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12708/24]

Departmental Funding

Robert Troy

1556. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will publish a list of the NGOs funded by his Department; and the level the funding each NGO received in the past three years, in tabular form. [12721/24]

Departmental Meetings

Carol Nolan

1557. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of engagements, including online meetings, webinars, briefings and in-person meetings that he or officials from his Department and bodies under the aegis of his Department have had with an organisation (details supplied) including its representatives from 1 January 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12741/24]

Departmental Schemes

Richard Bruton

1558. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is a shortage of training places in Dublin for those wishing to do apprenticeships, which is requiring people to train far away from home; and if he plans to roll out more facilities in Dublin to meet the need. [12918/24]

Departmental Schemes

Seán Sherlock

1559. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the 2024/2025 SUSI application process will open. [12953/24]

Departmental Strategies

Violet-Anne Wynne

1560. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the national student accommodation strategy will be published; its current status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12995/24]

Departmental Funding

Violet-Anne Wynne

1561. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will comment on his decision to provide zero capital funding for technological universities, preventing them from building and borrowing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12996/24]

Departmental Inquiries

Violet-Anne Wynne

1562. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the situation that students often find themselves in when renting digs, such as curfews being imposed, no privacy and issues with accessing communal areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13002/24]

Departmental Policies

Patricia Ryan

1563. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, with regard to the advanced healthcare assistant, QQI level 6 (details supplied), if any plans are being considered to have the same course rolled out across the TU campuses and covered by the SUSI system, considering the benefits to be gained from it by both healthcare providers and their employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13159/24]

Departmental Administrative Arrangements

Ged Nash

1564. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason personal assistants in the further and higher education sector are paid monthly and not bi-weekly as compared to those who are employed in the broadly analogous role of SNA at primary and second-level education; the reason the personal assistant role and salary scale does not include annual increments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13165/24]

Public Private Partnerships

Rose Conway-Walsh

1565. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide details on all planned PPP projects and ongoing PPP contracts; the status of each project; the anticipated or known capital cost; the anticipated or known cost to the Exchequer over the lifetime of the contracts; the annual total payment of PPP unitary charges and the percentage share of the total capital budget for his Department and all public bodies under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13197/24]

Departmental Data

Michael Healy-Rae

1566. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on adult education classes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13220/24]

Student Accommodation

Violet-Anne Wynne

1567. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reasons for the delays in publishing progress reports on the National Student Accommodation Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13307/24]

Student Accommodation

Violet-Anne Wynne

1568. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the rising cost of student campus accommodation in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13309/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Frankie Feighan

436. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason a Leitrim based apprentice (details supplied) who trained under SOLAS are not recognising the time he spent working at an accredited company from July 2020 to May 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11373/24]

Further and Higher Education

Matt Carthy

437. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his engagements with Irish institutes of higher education regarding their ongoing collaboration with counterparts in Israel; and if he has raised any concerns with University College Dublin related to their Israeli counterpart fundraising for student reservists that took part in the Israeli assault on Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11400/24]

EU Agreements

Matt Carthy

438. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, given the request of the Taoiseach that the European Commission urgently review whether Israel is complying with its obligations to respect human rights in Gaza under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, he has similarly sought review of Israel’s participation in Horizon Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11401/24]

Departmental Staff

Carol Nolan

233. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to clarify the number of redundancies, or so called ‘exit-packages’, that have been paid to staff or personnel at any level of seniority in his Department, or in any agency or body under the aegis of his Department, from 2018 to date; the value of each and the total value, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10987/24]

Departmental Staff

Catherine Murphy

234. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of exit and or severance and or redundancy packages granted by his Department, and bodies under his aegis, and of bodies he funds in full or in part, of €200,000 and above in the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and if he will provide the amount of same, body, name and year. [11016/24]

Departmental Staff

Alan Kelly

235. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to list all staff/management exit packages for staff/management in their Departments that they sanctioned since 2016 (details supplied). [11161/24]

Third Level Education

Marian Harkin

795. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the proportion of international students to Irish students in the Royal College of Surgeons for the last five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9959/24]

Disability Services

Marc MacSharry

796. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the effectiveness of Section 25 of the Disability Act as it applies to wheelchair users, including electric and power wheelchair users, accessing Higher Education Institution facilities; if there are plans to improve access to higher education institution facilities for wheelchair users, including electric and power wheelchair users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10033/24]

Disability Services

Marc MacSharry

797. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reasoning behind public bodies being exempt from Section 25 of the Disability Act; the process for which a higher education institution as a public body can apply for an exemption; the designated person(s) responsible for applying for the exemption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10034/24]

Third Level Education

Holly Cairns

798. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the phase 6 training for electrical and instrumentation in SETU Carlow is still scheduled for April 2024; why notification of the training has not been issued yet; and if he will give a date by which notification of training will be issued to apprentices so they can plan accordingly. [10053/24]

Third Level Staff

Neasa Hourigan

799. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on a report (details supplied); his views on its recommendation for the implementation of employee status and university contract model for all PhD researchers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10203/24]