Parliamentary questions

Dental Services

Brendan Howlin

318. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to the proposed expansion in the number of dentists to be trained in Ireland, if he will set out the optimum number he believes should be catered for annually in third level colleges in Ireland; his plans to expand the number of dentistry places available at University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin; the plans he has to provide a new dental school and hospital at UCC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19910/24]

Third Level Education

Réada Cronin

319. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will financially assist each Erasmus student to travel to their mainland European destination university by ferry and train (as opposed to by air which is often cheaper and incentivised); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19938/24]

Third Level Education

Ruairí Ó Murchú

320. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the numbers of students expelled from courses at each technological university and institute of technology from 2020 to date; the reasons for the expulsions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19945/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mairéad Farrell

321. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for the full list of colleges of further education and training which providing off-the-job training for craft apprentices, excluding the Education and Training Boards and Technological Universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19957/24]

Further and Higher Education

Réada Cronin

322. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19990/24]

Cybersecurity Policy

Louise O'Reilly

327. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of a training programme (details supplied); and if he will meet with the organisation regarding expansion of cyber security programmes in the further education sector. [19560/24]

Cybersecurity Policy

Louise O'Reilly

328. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of a training programme (details supplied); and if he will meet with the organisation regarding cyber security for SMEs. [19561/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mairéad Farrell

329. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, in relation to a matter (details supplied), he will identify the income that University of Limerick receives per annum from its commercial owned company in the years 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19685/24]

Third Level Fees

Paul McAuliffe

330. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for a review of the college fees for a person (details supplied). [19839/24]

Education and Training Boards

Imelda Munster

331. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of apprenticeships (that is, the number of individual apprenticeships that are available, not a list of the different types of apprenticeships) in each of the ETBs in the State. [19891/24]

Third Level Fees

Paul Murphy

751. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to the announcement in Budget 2024 that SUSI would pay fees of part-time students (details supplied) for the academic year 2024-2025, when he will provide guidelines to SUSI in order that this process can commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18752/24]

Further and Higher Education

Denis Naughten

752. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 493 of 7 and 208 of 23 March 2023, the current stage the process is at; the timeline for when it is proposed this matter will be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18806/24]

Broadband Infrastructure

Denis Naughten

753. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of copper communication lines within his Department that are currently in active operation and for which his Department is paying for on a monthly basis, inclusive of ISDN, PTSN and copper-based lease lines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18838/24]

Third Level Staff

Catherine Murphy

754. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of WTE staff employed by Kildare-Wicklow Education and Training Board for the teaching of the English language to persons with little or no speaking English in 2022, 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [18913/24]

Ukraine War

Robert Troy

755. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports in place to assist Ukrainian refugees with the cost of third-level education (details supplied). [18975/24]

Third Level Examinations

Michael Ring

756. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of exams (details supplied) that have experienced computer glitches and therefore could not be completed by applicants in the past five years, in tabular form; what remedies have been taken to resolve these computer glitches; the steps that have been taken for the persons affected by these computer glitches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18977/24]

Information and Communications Technology

Louise O'Reilly

757. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of Ireland’s national supercomputer; the length of time remaining on its lifespan or if it has been decommissioned; when a new supercomputer will be available to academia, industry, and Government Departments and agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19088/24]

Information and Communications Technology

Louise O'Reilly

758. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has approached the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding co-funding for procuring Ireland’s new national supercomputer; if not, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19089/24]

Information and Communications Technology

Louise O'Reilly

759. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how powerful Ireland’s current national supercomputer is; how powerful the new national supercomputer will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19090/24]

Information and Communications Technology

Louise O'Reilly

760. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has considered making the Irish centre for high end-computing a standalone State agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19091/24]

Visa Applications

Matt Carthy

761. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of an issue impacting upon non-EU citizens teaching and studying in Irish institutes of further and higher education whereby they are unable to secure appointments to apply for Schengen area visas; if he has engaged with his EU counterparts on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19125/24]

European Union

John Paul Phelan

762. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to list all Acts and Statutory Instruments sponsored by his Department which became law from 20 February 2020 to date in 2024 and which were necessitated, either in whole or in part, to transpose or give effect to regulations, directives or other measures passed at European Union level. [19167/24]

Departmental Funding

Louise O'Reilly

763. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the work of the UCD Professional Academy; what routes to public funding are available for the academy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19314/24]

Local Authorities

Catherine Murphy

764. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide the amount of grant-aid returned and or surrendered to his Department, by local authority in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, to include the heading of which it was intended for. [19362/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Cian O'Callaghan

765. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of people who begin apprenticeships in the construction trades but drop out before completion, broken down by apprenticeship type, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19434/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

766. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science where applications in relation to the use of the dormant funds accounts to support those young care leavers seeking student accommodation can be made; the guidelines for applying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19465/24]

Departmental Staff

Cian O'Callaghan

767. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will look into a situation where a person is waiting on wages (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19485/24]

Further and Higher Education

Mark Ward

768. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a person who was studying medicine at a university (details supplied) can continue their studies here in Ireland given the ongoing conflict in the region; how they can go about transferring their course to here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19519/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

351. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of electrical, plumbing and carpentry apprentices who completed their course in 2023, broken down by the year in which they first registered for their course, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18500/24]

Youth Work Supports

Marian Harkin

352. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the second level schools' calendar would be a cost-saving measure to public expenditure as well as a contribution to the educational delivery of the service, going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18531/24]

Youth Work Supports

Gino Kenny

353. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how the Youthreach programme functions above the 166 days for students, given the reduction in staff who are employed as pro-rata teachers/resource persons; the percentage breakdown, by centre to indicate the way staffing levels change during this time (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18532/24]

Youth Work Supports

Gino Kenny

354. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if principal officers and deputy principal officers who work within the Youthreach education service read the Youthreach Employee Wellbeing Report 2022: A review of employees’ experience of working in the Youthreach Sector, published in January 2023; if he has concerns which may have been raised by the Youthreach Employee Wellbeing Report 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18533/24]

Research and Development

Neasa Hourigan

355. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total expenditure in the form of grants or relief given to social enterprises for research and innovation in each of the years 2020 to 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18570/24]

Student Accommodation

Mairéad Farrell

356. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 754 of 16 April 2024, the specific legislation that his officials and those from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are looking to amend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18575/24]

Student Accommodation

Michael Healy-Rae

193. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18181/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Imelda Munster

194. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of apprenticeships that are available in the Louth and Meath region; the number of apprenticeships available in counties Louth and Meath in each of the years 2022 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18138/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Imelda Munster

195. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of the number of apprenticeships available in each of the years 2022 to 2024, in tabular form. [18139/24]

Youth Work Supports

Matt Carthy

196. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he intends to align Youthreach centres for education with second level schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18301/24]

Youth Work Supports

Matt Carthy

197. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his response to the Youthreach Employee Wellbeing Report 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18302/24]

Apprenticeship Programmes

Mairéad Farrell

198. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 581 of 7 February 2024, given that is has been three months, if he can please give an indication of when Solas will be in a position to provide a breakdown, by county, in tabular form, of the number of craft apprentices currently waiting for off the job training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18369/24]

Departmental Advertising

Ged Nash

199. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for figures on the total spend for all forms of advertising in the years 2022 and 2023 in his Department; if figures can be provided on each Department’s spend on local media advertising (print and broadcast respectively, and broken down on that basis) for those years; if the Department used/uses an agency to place advertising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18393/24]

Departmental Contracts

Carol Nolan

200. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has at any time engaged the services of a company (details supplied) or allocated the company funding or support in any capacity; if he or his officials have engaged with personnel from the company; if so, the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18445/24]

Period Poverty

Duncan Smith

694. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will increase the €200 thousand share of funding for Naughton + Smyth framework for the provision of period products to higher-education institutions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18090/24]

Third Level Education

Patrick Costello

695. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on Trinity College’s policy (details supplied) which prevents any external tour guides from using the campus and/or Book of Kells for guiding purposes. [17314/24]

Third Level Education

Patrick Costello

696. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on Trinity College’s policy (details supplied) which prevents any external tour guides from using the campus and/or Book of Kells for guiding purposes. [17315/24]

Third Level Education

Mairéad Farrell

697. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the international education mark will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17391/24]

Third Level Education

Mairéad Farrell

698. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the additional resources that will be allocated to ensure that education providers are compliant with the international education mark. [17392/24]

Departmental Expenditure

Sorca Clarke

699. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his Department's capital underspend, if any, in 2023; and his Department's projected spend in 2024. [17422/24]

Research Funding

Ivana Bacik

700. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to allocate increased funding across all career stages for researchers; and his views on the importance of basic or frontier research and the need for parity of esteem across disciplines. [17530/24]

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]