Results 61-80 of 1,080,780 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly) in 'Committee meetings'
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy with the breakdown she has asked for. On the engagement that has taken place with ETBs to support them in developing their preliminary business cases, SOLAS and the Department met representatives of all 12 ETBs over a two-week period in April and May of this year to further discuss their proposals in the context of affordability, value for...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: What is the date for submitting the revised business plans?
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: The ETBs were given until 2 September to submit their refined business plans.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: Is the Minister of State aware of whether Galway and Roscommon ETB has submitted its business case?
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: According to my information, a total of seven ETBs submitted their refined business plans by 2 September 2024. Submissions were received from Cork ETB, Cavan and Monaghan ETB, Kilkenny and Carlow ETB, Kildare and Wicklow ETB-----
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: Given the time allowed, I am sure I will be forgiven for being parochial. Did Galway and Roscommon ETB make its submission?
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: No. Its submission was not in on time. The five ETBs that did not submit business cases for evaluation are expected to do so by the next full sitting of the evaluation panel, in January 2025, and they will be considered.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: They will be considered at the point.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: Yes.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: So they will not be at a disadvantage.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: No.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: And the robustness of all the business cases will be considered afresh. Will the Minister of State indicate the timeline? What will happen at the pre-tender and design stage? What time is envisaged for that?
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: I welcome the fact there were 2,195 public beds. Where, however, is the vision for this area in terms of State-owned student accommodation in order that we can bring the prices down? A market is once again being created for the vulture funds and anyone with money who can then do what they want during the summer, although we have tried to curtail that lately with limits on time. I come from...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: Previous speakers have raised this issue and we have discussed student accommodation. We have a long-term student accommodation policy, which was approved by the Government in 2024.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)
Catherine Connolly: When is the strategy going to be published consequent on that plan?
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: That policy will inform student accommodation strategies and schemes which are being developed throughout 2024. We also have conducted a feasibility study across the technological university sector, as the Deputy will know. That was basically an exercise in which we collaborated through the umbrella group for the technological universities. We asked them to identify their requirements and...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)
Apprenticeship Programmes
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)
Bernard Durkan: 10. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects to make extra provision for apprenticeships or third level access routes for those with a technical expertise who wish to improve their skills and options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40049/24]
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)
Bernard Durkan: I wish to zoom in on the degree to which the relevant vacancies have been identified throughout industry, both in the public and private sector, with the view to matching up the qualifications and identifying the precise areas in which weaknesses have appeared and the degree to which it is anticipated to be able to address them.
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)
Niall Collins: In budget 2025, we made a significant investment of €77.4 million to grow apprenticeship, a valued option for those who wish to gain a skill or improve their skills across many sectors of the economy. There are currently 77 national apprenticeship programmes available from levels 5 to 10 of the national framework of qualifications, NFQ, across a diverse range of skills from plumbing...