Results 1,241-1,260 of 1,081,115 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Mick Barry OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Seán Crowe)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Jul 2025)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: 103. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that SOLAS is in receipt of sufficient funding from the State to ensure that it can deliver on its annual service plan and operate accordingly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36974/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (8 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Deputy for the question. We have had some discussion on this in the Chamber previously. The funding SOLAS receives has increased substantially, with current funding in 2025 representing a €310 million, or 37%, uplift compared to 2020. That has enabled one in ten adults to engage in learning funded by SOLAS and highlights the vital role of further education and training...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I am meeting representatives of SOLAS this week and I will raise it with them because it is not good enough if that is happening on the ground. I will make sure I engage with them on that matter. To some extent, all of us in any job end up taking on additional tasks or roles that may be slightly outside what we might be tasked to do. However, it should not be at scale, should not be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Jul 2025)

Donna McGettigan: I hear the Minister on that but in my recent discussions with Connect, the trade union representing apprentices, I was told that there is great need for quality assurance in all areas of apprenticeships. This must be measured within the employment to ensure the apprenticeship is delivered properly and that the apprentice is given access to all areas of the curriculum which feature on the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I will recap on some of the measures that are available if there is any breach. There is a code of practice for employers and apprentices and sanctions are available. SOLAS imposes those sanctions should they arise. Section 11 of the code of practice sets out such measures as a written warning, a final written warning, suspension from being able to take on apprenticeships for six months,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

Third Level Education

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

Maeve O'Connell: 100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will create a centralised third level information hub for students. [37814/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

Maeve O'Connell: I thank both Minister and Minister of State for being with us here tonight. Does the Minister have plans to create a centralised third level information hub for students?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: Central to the Deputy's question is the provision of information in whatever form. The question mentioned an information hub. It goes back to a deeper question about how we guide young people - some not so young - but primarily school-leavers into the right choices in their career paths. We need to recognise that the day of a job for life is gone. We see the advent of digital and AI with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

Maeve O'Connell: As the Minister is aware in the programme for Government outlines plans to create a single application portal for further and third level education. I would have thought that a first step in that is to create an information hub. The Minister correctly identified four different websites that people have to try to go through. It is quite challenging for young people to navigate all of this,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: The Deputy is absolutely right. As I said in my initial remarks, there is a programme for Government commitment to bring together the different portals into a shared information hub. That is very much a work in progress. I have canvassed the different agencies on that as I have been meeting them in my short time to date. We have tried to come up with an integrated tertiary system,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

Maeve O'Connell: I welcome that the Minister is trying to understand the behaviours. One of the potential problems of the CAO system is that it is easy. Students fill in their top choices and then they are done. They may not be considering the other options because they are much more difficult to navigate. I will give a specific example. Only about 12% or 14% of students study accounting at leaving cert...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2025)

James Lawless: I studied accounting for my leaving cert and then studied mathematics as an undergraduate. Perhaps my focus on numbers has been unfortunate in recent days. Perhaps there is a bigger picture than the pure mathematical realities, something I am learning. Again I agree with the Deputy. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and I recently launched a subset of the overall system but a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy. I appreciate her question, but I will make it very clear that SOLAS has not reduced funding to Tipperary ETB. In fact, Tipperary ETB has been allocated €35.5 million by SOLAS in 2025, which is an increase of €1.1 million on the 2024 allocation. There are no cuts and there is no reduction. As the Deputy knows, SOLAS allocates funding to ETBs to deliver...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 Jul 2025)

Donna McGettigan: Not to continue funding really means cuts in funds because the funding is not continuing. As explained to me, these learners in Cashel can do level 4 in Youthreach but cannot do level 5, which is what these young people have set their sights on. Eight distinctions at level 5 are the equivalent of 390 leaving cert points. Even if some people do not get the eight distinctions and get a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I will say again that the Cashel LTI was fully funded by Tipperary ETB in 2024-25. I have been advised that following a comprehensive review to align services with its annual budget, Tipperary ETB made the very difficult decision not to continue funding four of its LTIs due to high costs and low learner numbers. At present, Tipperary ETB is actively exploring alternative provisions to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 Jul 2025)

Donna McGettigan: While Tipperary ETB may have tried to find solutions to avoid this situation, and it claims that "no current learners are impacted, as all students enrolled in these programmes have completed their programme", that is simply not true. I have received all the testimonials from these learners. All are very much impacted and all are now struggling to come to terms with what is next for them. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Bodies (8 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy. I recognise she really cares about this, as I do, but Tipperary ETB is in charge of its own decisions when it comes to what courses it will provide. It has looked at what happened last year, what the student intake was and how it can best provide for all of the students in Tipperary, who are being supported. It is important to say that Tipperary ETB has requested...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Jul 2025)

Apprenticeship Programmes

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Jul 2025)

Donna McGettigan: 99. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the protections his Department can give to apprentices to ensure they receive the agreed wage and are doing work relevant to their apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37829/25]