Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Written Answers Nos. 291 - 305

Gaelscoil Issues

Ceisteanna (291)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

291. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills the costs involved in changing the status of English speaking schools, both primary and secondary, to Irish medium schools. [19208/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

I assume that the Deputy is referring to the transition of English-medium schools to Irish-medium schools in the context of the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme. Under the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme, which is a key component of my Department’s Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022, schools located in Gaeltacht language-planning areas can apply to seek recognition as Gaeltacht schools. To achieve Gaeltacht school recognition, schools will be required to operate entirely through the medium of Irish, (apart from the teaching of English and other language curricula), in accordance with language-based criteria set out in the Policy. Schools that are participating in the Scheme will be granted additional resources and supports. It is not possible to state the costs involved for individual schools in fulfilling the criteria for recognition as a Gaeltacht school. However, the Government has made available €1m to support a range of actions under the Policy on Gaeltacht Education in 2017 and this figure is anticipated to grow in coming years as the full range of actions in the Policy are implemented.

Education and Training Provision

Ceisteanna (292)

David Cullinane

Ceist:

292. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken to verify authenticity of training and referees as listed by applicants on their CSCS application forms; the steps taken to ensure that such training has been delivered by competent persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19707/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) provides for the training, assessment, certification and registration of non-craft operatives within the construction sector.

In order to apply for assessment candidates are required to contact an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) who issues the candidate with an assessment pack for completion and submission to the ATO. Upon receipt of the completed assessment pack the ATO ensures that the candidate meets the candidate profile and that the required declarations are signed stating that the candidate has the required experience. The candidate is then advised of the date and time of the assessment event.

SOLAS monitors each assessment in keeping with monitoring requirements. This monitoring ensures the authenticity of the assessment and ensures that candidate packs are completed to the required standard. Notwithstanding this, SOLAS also carries out process audits to ensure that standards are adhered to.

Once a candidate completes an assessment the Approved Training Organisation enters the results onto the SOLAS Card Management System within 10 days. The results are internally verified by the Training Standard Officer for the region who liaises with the ATO regarding any errors or missing paperwork and prepares a list of internally verified courses for the External Authenticator.

Only applications which have successfully gone through the above process can be submitted for certification.

School Transport Provision

Ceisteanna (293)

Eugene Murphy

Ceist:

293. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports he will put in place for persons who are facing losing their school transport due to lack of numbers in a school availing of the bus transport scheme in that area; his plans to lower the numbers required in order that rural schools do not lose more students due to the lack of transportation to their school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20243/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

Currently almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.

The purpose of the  School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

Children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criterion and are attending their nearest school.

A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.

Families of eligible children, for whom there is no school transport service available, are eligible for the remote area grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements.

The terms of the scheme are applied equitably on a national basis. 

Teachers' Remuneration

Ceisteanna (294, 372, 387, 388, 390)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

294. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to end the inequality regarding payment for teachers; his views on whether new entrants to the teaching sector are being disadvantaged and discriminated against in terms of starting pay when compared to their colleagues that entered the service at an earlier date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20484/17]

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

372. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to resolve the issue of pay inequality in the teaching sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20486/17]

Eamon Scanlon

Ceist:

387. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects progress to continue in regard to the restoration of pay cuts necessitated by the downturn in the economy, with particular reference for the need to recognise the inequality to teachers and the principle of equal pay for equal work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20582/17]

Eamon Scanlon

Ceist:

388. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in bringing to an end the two-tier pay system that exists across the teaching profession to the detriment of new entrant teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20583/17]

John Brassil

Ceist:

390. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to resolve the issue of pay inequality for teachers; the timeframe for this plan; if not, the way he can justify a position that is contrary to the principal of equal pay for equal work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20608/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 294, 372, 387, 388 and 390 together.

As a consequence of the financial crisis, there was a need to enact a number of measures to reduce public expenditure so as to stabilise the country's public finances. A previous Government reduced the salaries and allowances payable to all new entrants to public service recruitment grades by 10% with effect from 1 January 2011. This decision also required that such new entrants would start on the first point of the applicable salary scale, which in the case of teachers had the effect of reducing their starting pay by a further 4-5%. Later in 2011, the Government placed a cap on the overall level of qualification allowances that could be earned by teachers.

Subsequently in 2012, following the public service-wide review of allowances, the Government withdrew qualification allowances for new teachers altogether. However, the Government partially compensated for this by deciding that new entrant teachers would henceforth commence on a new salary scale which had a starting point higher than the starting point of the old scale.

The public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration to start. I have used this to negotiate substantial improvements in pay for new teachers. The agreement reached with TUI and INTO in September 2016 will see pay rises of between 15-22% (between €4,600 and €6,700) for new entrant teachers. The agreements also provide for earlier permanency for younger teachers, new promotion opportunities and new flexibilities in working hours. The pay increases for new teachers were also available to ASTI members under the proposals which members recently balloted on.

The agreements have restored an estimated 75% of the difference in pay for more recently recruited teachers and deliver full equality at later points in the scale. This is substantial progress and strikes an equitable balance with other claims for funding on my Department, particularly needs such as enhanced service for children with special educational needs, for disadvantaged schools, for growing schools, for Higher Education and for apprenticeships.

It must be borne in mind that the pay reduction for post-2011 entrants to the public service applied to all public servants and not just teachers, and that any restoration of these measures in respect of teachers would be expected to be applied elsewhere across the public service. While I am not in a position to provide an estimate of the total cost of restoring all post-1 January 2011 entrants in all areas of the public service to the pre-2011 pay scale arrangements, I can say that in the case of education and training sector employees, including teachers, the estimated cost would be between €65 and €70 million per annum. Clearly, the cost across the entire public service would be substantially higher.

Further negotiation on new entrant pay cannot focus on just one sector. A broader assessment of pay and new entrant pay across the public service will be informed by the analysis of the Public Service Pay Commission.

The Government established the Commission to examine pay levels across the public service, including entry levels of pay. The Government also supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.

I accept that the teacher unions have outstanding pay demands and that the new entrant deal does not travel the full distance that they set out to achieve. However, it does represent significant progress, and the door is not closed to the trade union movement seeking to advance the issue further in the context of future public service pay talks. Indeed, negotiations on a successor agreement to Lansdowne Road will shortly get under way.

Teacher Recruitment

Ceisteanna (295)

John Brady

Ceist:

295. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to allow a school (details supplied) to recruit a teacher from beyond the immediate education and training board area in which the school is located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19155/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

Each school Board of Management or Education and Training Board (ETB) has sole responsibility for the appointment of its teachers. The ETB is a statutory body with its own corporate status established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013. 

Circular 31/2011, issued by my department advises school authorities that they are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers.

The qualifications possessed by teachers are assessed by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. Assignment of teachers to individual classes in schools is a matter for the individual school authorities. 

Teaching Contracts

Ceisteanna (296)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

296. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the timeframe or average time for releasing post inspection reports for probationary year teachers; and when a person (details supplied) will receive their inspection report which is required to submit a formal appeal. [19165/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Generally, a Statement of Professional Competence or an Inspection Report on the Work of a Probationary Teacher will issue to the conditionally registered teacher within one month of having completed the required service or following the final inspection visit, whichever is the later.

The Inspection Report on the Work of a Probationary Teacher issued to Ms Furlong on 6 April 2017, 12 days after completion of the 100-day service requirement.

Croke Park Agreement Implementation

Ceisteanna (297)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

297. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the oversight role played by his Department in ensuring that the 36 extra hours of work per school year for teachers, that is, the Croke Park hours, are spent usefully (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19183/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Croke Park hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements that require all public servants to work additional time for no additional payment.

The Croke Park hours represent a real reform with significant benefits for parents and children. In schools, the Croke Park hours are 36 additional hours a year at primary (33 hours at post-primary) worked by teachers. They are a valuable resource within the school system which allow certain essential activities involving the entire teaching staff or groups of teachers to take place. These include staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development.

Before the Croke Park hours were introduced, these activities ate into tuition time. This meant that schools closed for full days or half days in order to carry them out, causing interruption to tuition and significant inconvenience for parents, as well as child care costs – particularly for primary parents.

It is important to note that many public servants committed significantly more hours than this under the public service agreements. Across the public services – education, health, local authorities, civil service etc. - the additional time being provided represents about 450,000 additional hours per annum or the equivalent of between 12,000 and 13,000 public service posts. That is a serious productivity benefit for the Exchequer. Replacing those hours would cost hundreds of millions of euro.

In response to concerns expressed by teacher trade unions regarding the use of the Croke Park hours, my Department agreed with TUI and INTO to carry out a review of their usage under the Lansdowne Road Agreement. This review, which also involves the school management bodies, is now under way and will have regard to teacher professional judgment, system and school requirements and experience to date of best practice in the use of the hours.

The review provides for an up-front increase in the quantum of time allowed for planning and development work on other than a whole-school basis. The original Croke Park Agreement provided that all Croke Park hours (36 for primary and 33 for post-primary annually) would be worked on a whole-school basis. The Haddington Road Agreement provided that up to 5 of the hours could be worked on a less than whole-school basis (e.g. small groups of subject teachers). The recent agreement increases this maximum to 8 hours in September 2016 and 10 hours in September 2017.

National Training Fund

Ceisteanna (298)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

298. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the specific training grants supplied to industry from the national training fund in each of the years 2015 and 2016. [19197/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Training grants are allocated to the IDA and Enterprise Ireland under a Training Grants to Industry heading from the National Training Fund (NTF).  This initiative provides grants to industry to up-skill the workforce.

The allocation for 2015 and 2016 is as follows:

	2015	2016
IDA	€3 million	€3 million
Enterprise Ireland	€3.5 million	€3.5 million

National Training Fund

Ceisteanna (299)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

299. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount collected from the national training levy in each of the years 2000 to 2010; and the use of this funding by types of programme. [19198/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

The National Training Fund (NTF) was managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment from its inception in 2000 until 1 May 2010 when the function was transferred to my Department.

The tables outline the Training Levy receipts for the period 2000 to 2010 and the breakdown of the funding by programme type for the period 2002 to 2010, a breakdown is not available for 2000 and 2001.

The allocation of funding to Foras Aiseanna Saothair (FAS) is for such programmes as Apprenticeships under the Training in Employment heading and Community Training Centres, Local Training Initiatives (LTI), Specialist Providers for people with a disability and Specific Skills Training for Job Seekers.  

Funding was provided to Skillnets to enable them to support private companies to increase their participation in enterprise training and to other bodies to support people in employment.

Income from National Training Levy

Year	Funding
2000	148,000,000
2001	187,921,236
2002	239,000,000
2003	250,000,000
2004	273,000,000
2005	327,000,000
2006	366,000,000
2007	408,000,000
2008	413,000,000
2009	372,000,000
2010	309,000,000

	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
TRAINING FOR THOSE IN EMPLOYMENT
Foras Aiseanna Saothair	108,808,000	92,397,000	105,080,000	117,889,000	140,731,000	168,086,600	168,781,000	103,196,384	69,617,000
Skillnets Limited	4,382,385	5,000,000	5,175,000	7,500,000	14,764,360	23,827,000	26,027,000	16,595,000	13,607,580
IDA Ireland	4,406,000	650,000	2,137,855	900,000	1,268,836	1,034,129	2,500,000	2,500,000	3,555,900
Enterprise Ireland	6,000,000	4,000,000	2,500,000	2,500,000	3,550,000	3,160,000	3,000,000	2,950,000	1,430,000
SFADCo	228,619	497,705	99,218	-	162,162	-	39,417	255,000	444,100
Institution of Engineers of Ireland	253,949	253,948	253,948	300,000	300,000	405,000	450,000	300,000	150,000
Small Firms Association			29,057	133,000	911,323	673,000	818,251	-
Chambers of Commerce of Ireland			836,537	-	353,632	427,408
WIT Blended E Learning			32,447	42,190
Higher Education Authority			497,700	495,682	493,216	-
Lucan 2000			27,000	24,748
Dundalk Chambers of Commerce			20,000	41,417
Laois County Enterprise Board			-	32,729
National Adult Literacy Agency			-	21,925	63,275	-	378,000	400,000	400,000
New ESF Funded Training Schemes			-	2,000,000
Department Employment and Learning					-	891,672
Waterford Crystal					243,257	-
WIT Blended E- Learning					72,537	-
Laois County Enterprise Board					15,759	-
ICTU					65,452	-
SIPTU					74,183	-
The Wheel					500,000	366,940	375,000	375,000	375,000
Department of Education & Skills							43,664
Department of Foreign Affairs							-	41,953
OECD Learning for Jobs Study								58,000
Workplace Basic Education Fund									1,608,689
	124,078,953	102,798,653	116,688,762	131,880,691	163,568,992	198,871,749	202,412,332	126,671,337	91,188,269

	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€	€
TRAINING FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Foras Aiseanna Saothair	79,943,000	129,658,000	159,277,000	179,861,000	88,253,000	194,937,000	195,816,000	238,949,416	284,332,000
Skillnets									1,392,420
Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF)									16,754,118
	79,943,000	129,658,000	159,277,000	179,861,000	88,253,000	194,937,000	195,816,000	238,949,416	302,478,538
	PROVISION OF INFORMATION ON SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Foras Aiseanna Saothair –Skills Analysis Unit	255,000	-	320,000	328,000	336,000	369,000	383,000	378,800	379,000
Forfas	296,193	473,000	323,710	524,909	560,608	522,286	534,510	482,370	401,937
Taskforce on Lifelong Learning	5,569	-
National Training Advisory Committee	4,715	2,866
Higher Education Authority	-	790,342
The Wheel			68,865	143,493
Central Statistics Office (PIAAC)									320,359
	561,477	1,266,208	712,575	996,402	896,608	891,286	917,510	861,170	1,101,296
TOTAL	204,583,430	233,722,861	276,678,337	312,738,093	252,718,600	394,700,035	399,145,842	366,481,923	394,768,104

SOLAS Funding

Ceisteanna (300)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

300. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the programmes for which his Department provides funding to SOLAS in each year since its establishment; and the number of participants on each programme in each year. [19199/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

SOLAS was established in late 2013.

The following table outlines the programmes for which my Department provided funding to SOLAS and the number of beneficiaries of these programme for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 as requested.  Beneficiaries are defined as the number of people who were on programmes on 1 January in the year in question plus those who started programmes during that year.

Further Education and Training Beneficiaries 2014 2016

	Beneficiaries	Beneficiaries	Beneficiaries
Programme	2014	2015	2016
Literacy	65,140	68,542	75,650
Community Education	62,535	66,616	53,835
VTOS	8,590	9,285	8,235
Youthreach	6,102	10,047	8,542
BTEI	39,826	37,397	38,618
PLC	60,711	65,219	60,835
Apprenticeship	3,263	5,598	8,028
Skills for Work	N/A	3,155	2,958
Blended Training	294	535	482
Bridging/Foundation	2,633	2,231	1,281
Community Training Centres	3,851	2,646	3,167
Local Training Initiatives	5,147	4,071	4,292
Specialist Training Providers	3,889	3,124	3,687
Specific Skills Training	16,425	13,693	14,310
On-line Learning (eCollege) (p/t)	9,591	9,619	9,243
Libraries Training	709	364	317
Evening Training	13,569	17,228	14,688
Voluntary Literacy Tuition	0	3,141	2,160
Justice Workshops	218	290	311
FET Co-operation Hours	15,826	20,192	22,277
Irish Deaf Society (f/t)	210	196	365
Cork Institute of Technology	0	0	28
Traineeship	4,842	4,079	4,151
LMETF - MOMENTUM	3,574	5,553	735
TOTAL	326,945	352,821	338,195

Skills Development

Ceisteanna (301)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

301. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether there is scope to reduce funding to the Springboard or information and communication technology skills conversion course programmes due to reduced demand from unemployed persons. [19200/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

Springboard+, which incorporates the ICT skills conversion programme, is designed to encourage a response by educational institutions to meet the emerging skill needs of enterprise and reflects a commitment in the Programme for Government to deliver a step change in our capacity to educate, develop, deploy and retain talent. It also embodies the core ambition set out Ireland’s National Skills Strategy – to ensure that we have a system that is flexible; responsive to the needs of enterprise and adult learners; and that delivers the maximum impact for our public resources.  Springboard+ has been very successful with over 80% of graduates entering permanent employment.

Level 8 ICT graduates from Springboard+ play a significant role in our work to meet national targets regarding skills needs in the ICT sector, which is crucial to our ability to attract and retain companies in this area as recommended under the ICT Skills Action Plan, 2014. ICT skills conversion programmes are open to all applicants that meet the academic criteria, irrespective of their employment status.

Cognisant of the changing economic situation and in particular the declining pool of potential participants from the live register, Homemakers will be eligible to apply to participate on a Springboard+ 2017 course.  In addition those in employment who wish to upskill or reskill in the Biopharma/Med-tech will also be eligible to apply to participate in Springboard+ 2017.

It is envisaged that future iterations of Springboard+ will provide increased upskilling and reskilling opportunities to those in employment.

SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Places

Ceisteanna (302)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

302. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of participants on training programmes for the unemployed run by SOLAS in each of the years from 2007 to 2016; if funding to these programmes will be reduced due to decreasing demand from unemployed persons; and the reason expenditure on these programmes increased in 2016 compared to 2014 and 2015 in view of the general reduction in unemployment. [19201/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

I have provided a table giving the number of participants on training programmes for the unemployed in each of the years 2007 to 2016.  This shows a significant decrease in the number of unemployed people availing of training over the last number of years due to the upturn in the economy.

In line with this there has been a rebalancing of the funding allocated for training with more funding being allocated to training those in employment and less allocated to training for unemployed people.  Expenditure on training programmes for unemployed people has decreased from €288.4 million in 2013 to €266 million in 2016 and is being further reduced to €258.6 million this year.

The savings on training for the unemployed are being used to provide additional funding to support training for those in employment, particularly for apprenticeships.

Number of Participants on Training Programmes for Unemployed 2007 - 2016

Year	Number of Participants
2007	23,264
2008	43,485
2009	77,194
2010	107,511
2011	84,539
2012	72,722
2013	62,422
2014	64,572
2015	63,433
2016	56,664

Apprenticeship Programmes

Ceisteanna (303)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

303. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the approximate cost of the programme for Government commitment to achieving cumulative apprenticeship registrations and traineeship enrolments of 50,000 in the period 2016 to 2020; and the approximate cost to the State of training an apprentice. [19234/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

Based on the targets set out in the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship 2016-2020, it is estimated that the cost of apprenticeship and traineeship provision in 2020 will rise to approximately €260m.  The estimated average cost to the state of training an apprentice is approximately €6,500 per annum.

Third Level Funding

Ceisteanna (304)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

304. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the €600 million core funding requirement by 2020 referenced in the Cassells report includes or excludes provision for demographic increases that have already been included in fiscal parameters for 2018 and 2019. [19235/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The core funding figure for higher education of an additional €600 million annually by 2021 is recommended in the report of the Expert Group on Future Funding For Higher Education in order to deliver higher quality outcomes and to provide for  increased demographics.  This will allow for an improvement in student : staff ratios, better engagement with students and improved support services for teachers and students. As the Deputy is aware the Expert Group report sets out a number of potential funding options, including a predominantly state-funded system but is not prescriptive in this regard.

Following the publication of the report, I have taken immediate steps to increase funding for higher education with an increase of €36.5 million being secured in 2017, the first such increase in nine years. This investment addresses, inter alia, demographic increases in higher education. Provision is also being made in the Department’s expenditure ceiling in 2018 and 2019  for further investment and, cumulatively, in the period 2017 – 2019 this represents an additional  €160 million investment by the Exchequer. 

Third Level Scholarships

Ceisteanna (305)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

305. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of all scholarship programmes open and common to students of third level institutions; the process by which programmes can be accessed in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19238/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The information requested by the Deputy on third level scholarships funded by my Department is available on the studentfinance.ie and education.ie websites. The link to the relevant pages is as follows:

http://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Services/Scholarships/ .

My Department does not have a list of scholarships managed by the Higher Education Institutions.  They are generally funded through private philanthropy and therefore managed at local level by the HEIs themselves.  Information on the scholarships and the associated processes involved in applying for the scholarships are available on the HEI websites. 

The HEA website lists all of the HEI websites and the relevant link is as follows:  http://hea.ie/content/funded-institutions-0.

In addition the Irish Research Council (IRC) offer a number of post-graduate scholarships and details of which can be accessed at: 

http://www.research.ie/scheme/government-ireland-postgraduate-scholarship-scheme-2017 .