We have been engaging intensively with European partners on the future of Erasmus+. My officials are working closely at the technical level and I am working at the ministerial and political level to advance negotiations on this important programme. Good progress has been made under both the Danish and Cypriot Presidencies. As the Deputy knows, the Cypriot Presidency comes to a close at the end of June. I was in Bruss…
TDs / James Lawless
James Lawless
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
30
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
114,588
words spoken in the chamber
114,547 as a minister, 41 as a TD
360
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
19
topics asked about
Across 11 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 30 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 440 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 13 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 8 | 9 |
| March 2025 | 3 | 54 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 15 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 35 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 9 |
| July 2025 | 2 | 60 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 0 | 44 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 44 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 40 |
| February 2026 | 1 | 1 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 2 | 39 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 42 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 40 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 379 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Not enough questions on record to compare.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Kildare North 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 23 January 2025 to now
It would be regrettable if that scenario were to come to pass. I understand the concern and it is well voiced. We are at the partial general agreement, meaning that specific parts of the proposal have been agreed. Ultimately the budget has yet to be agreed and that is what we have to negotiate with our colleagues in the European Parliament as we move on to the tripartite stage. I will be meeting some of the relevant …
I very much take the Deputy's points on board. He is right about the contribution to the economy that arises from having the student inflow here as well as the visiting families and so forth. When I was growing up, my own house was home to many visiting students of many nationalities on different courses. It also provides for a richer rounder experience for the host families and the students. Earlier we were talking …
Well done to all the winners and commiserations to all who did not make it over the line. The ongoing success of Offaly hurling is to be celebrated in Offaly but perhaps to be feared in other counties in Leinster. We will wish the Deputy well for now, but we will see where it goes.
Before I speak about Kildalton College, I compliment the team in Mount Bellew Agricultural College in County Galway, which I visited wit…
Absolutely. I look forward to visiting Kildalton, and I am going to arrange to see it myself shortly. This has that best practice combination of academic theory in the college institutions and hands-on farm experience on the practical college farm at Kildalton. I visited the UCD Lyons Farm just outside Celbridge in my constituency a number of times to see the wonderful work it does. This is an essential part of it. W…
I thank the Deputy. I agree with him about all the benefits that will flow to the regional areas from this. The expansion is being funded through the veterinary places activation programme. That wider programme is backed by €155 million, with €80 million specifically ring-fenced for veterinary education. It is a very important programme. I set a target across government to increase the number of healthcare places, an…
I am aware of the Deputy's interest in STEM, drug discovery, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and all those related matters. They are also a key priority for me, as is support for STEM overall, as well as being a key strategic priority for the Government, given its increasing criticality to economic growth, to resilience, future skills needs and regional development. I know the Deputy is very close to that in Cork with…
I thank the Deputy. I would welcome his input, with his strong local knowledge and policy knowledge of the area, for STEM provision in Cork in particular. If he thinks there are particular gaps that we need to fill or areas we need to work on or address, I would welcome that engagement. One of the policy initiatives I am pursuing is a widening of our doctoral programmes because many STEM workers ultimately come throu…
That is important to hear. I have set up what I call a skills roundtable series of events where I am engaging with sectoral employers. The first event took place about six weeks ago in Grangegorman with a range of employers. I am hosting a construction skills event with the Minister, Deputy Harkin, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, later this month to hear from different construction employers such as the Construction…
I thank an Teachta Moynihan. The pace and scale at which AI and technology in general is changing, adapting and transforming continues to astound us all, so it is all the more important that we try to stay ahead of it and that we drive our national AI skills agenda forward. It is one thing I am very conscious of right across education, research and innovation. As a productivity tool, so many businesses and users are …
Absolutely. That is very much the intention. It is, as the Deputy rightly said, currently pitched as an entry-level offering to raise the level of awareness among the general public and to broach that AI literacy or AI familiarity challenge in order that non-technical users can become more au fait with the technology, that it is demystified, as the Deputy said, and that they can get ready for it. That is the goal of …
Again, the Deputy made strong points, and I fully agree. The intention is to continue to expand the portal. In addition, I have asked my Department to develop what we are calling a roadmap for technology and future skills and a statement of ambition, which will set out where we want this to go. There are all the things the Deputy has just described. In addition to the initial range of courses offered, the National Sk…
I move:
That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, or in the Order of the Dáil of 15th April, 2026, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those set down to the Minister for Defence, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence:
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Resea…
Is é sin an chéad cheist inniu toisc go bhfuil a lán daoine as láthair. In any event, aithníonn mo Roinn an ról tábhachtach atá ag an earnáil oideachais tríú leibhéal i dtaca le sprioc an Rialtais a bhaint amach, is é sin go mbeidh 20% d'earcaigh san earnáil phoiblí inniúil sa Ghaeilge faoi 2030.
Le hAcht an Údaráis um Ard-Oideachas, 2022 cuirtear oibleagáid reachtúil ar an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas tacú le hinstitiúi…
Is minic a fhaighim an cheist ar cé mhéad mac léinn san ardoideachas a dhéanann staidéar ar an nGaeilge. Ní rud simplí é líon na mac léinn atá ag déanamh staidéir ar an nGaeilge sa tríú leibhéal a oibriú amach ós rud é go gcuirfear an Ghaeilge ar fáil mar ghné riachtanach i gcuid mhór clár, lena n-áirítear formhór na gclár comhchéime onóracha BA. Léiríonn anailís a rinne an tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas le déanaí go raibh…
Níor luaigh mé leis an Teachta Dála gur fhoghlaim mé mo chuid Gaeilge sa King’s Inns at the time. Tuigim an pointe sin. Tá an Roinn ag tacú le húsáid na Gaeilge ag an tríú leibhéal trí mhaoiniú a leithdháileadh ar institiúidí tríú leibhéal. Dáileadh €1.6 billiún ar institiúidí tríú leibhéal tríd an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas mar bhloc deontais chun tacú le soláthar oideachais tríú leibhéal lena n-áirítear soláthar don G…
The activation of supply of student beds is of the utmost priority to me, my Department, the Government as a whole, to Deputy Kenny and I am sure to all in this House who take in an interest in the matter.
Since 2017, we have seen 16,266 purpose-built student accommodation beds completed nationwide, which brings the total stock to just under 50,000 around the country. At the end of March 2026, commencement notices i…
I have just one point, and I know the Deputy has engaged in good faith, as he always does. I have to correct one statement he made, and perhaps it is just not widely known. Landlords actually cannot reset rents between tenancies and that is a very deliberate thing I inserted to the legislation following engagement with my colleague the Minister, Deputy Browne. In terms of regulation, overall, student tenancies are su…
I understand that the Deputy's question has a pertinence to students because they are living in the private residential sector but I do not want to trespass onto the brief of my colleague the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, in terms of the rules governing that.
While I cannot quite mandate it, I have strongly encouraged, and used any powers available to me, to suggest and request that where universities are adv…
I must first send best wishes to the Deputy's colleague, Teachta McGettigan. I understand she has not been well this week and normally she would be a key part of this debate. She is a very valued contributor to the education conversation. I just wanted to send our best wishes. I know she was taken unwell this week.
On the Deputy's question, he will be aware, and as all in Dundalk know at this stage, that committed t…
A body of work is required. This is the first time this has ever been undertaken and there is a job of work to do to align the different rules and regulations across the Border. My Department has been intensively engaged with that. In consultation with my officials, DKIT has established a number of representative groups working to identify requirements and issues, and bottom out the issues around legislation, the awa…
To continue that theme of collaboration, Universities Ireland is co-funded by my Department and the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy. This is another cross-border body. Through that body universities across the entire island of Ireland have been working together on this project but also on others. They have really displayed an agility, a willingness and an ambition, which I applaud, to align entry procedur…
Is institiúidí féinrialaitheacha iad ollscoileanna de réir bhrí Acht na nOllscoileanna, 1997. Dá bhrí sin, coinníonn siad freagracht as an ngnó ar fad maidir le hacmhainní daonna, faoi réir chomhlíonadh bheartas an Rialtais maidir le líon na bhfostaithe agus an bheartas pá. Maidir le ceapacháin in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, tá siad faoi chúram údarás rialaithe na hollscoile sin, agus níl ról agamsa ná ag mo Roinn sa phró…
Tuigim an fhadhb. Is institiúidí féinrialaitheacha iad ollscoileanna de réir bhrí Acht na nOllscoileanna, 1997. Dá bhrí sin, coinníonn siad freagracht as an ngnó ar fad maidir le hacmhainní daonna, faoi réir chomhlíonadh bheartas an Rialtais maidir le líon na bhfostaithe agus an bheartas pá.
Is ábhar don chomhlacht rialaithe san ollscoil féin é ceapadh uachtarán nua cé go mbeifí ag súil go mbeadh próiseas oscailte e…
Tá suim agam sa bhfadhb agus tuigim é. Beidh suim ag an Teachta sa mhéid atá á dhéanamh sa Roinn ag obair sa spás sin. Is rannpháirtí gníomhach í an Roinn sa réimse agus tá obair na hearnála ardoideachais tábhachtach chun a cinntiú go bhfuil luach ár saothar againn leis na scileanna teanga atá riachtanach chun an sprioc inniúlachta 20% a bhaint amach. Tá a lán oibre ar siúl sa Roinn towards that regards. Tá réimse le…