761. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health if she can confirm that funding for a psychologist in Ennis day hospital was stopped in September 2024 when the previous psychologist retired, and was not resumed until this February when the process of replacement began; the reason the process was delayed for the intervening months and if lack of funding contributed to the delay; the reason the transition fr…
963. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for programme expenditure to improve a significant decline and to address the lack of consistency in the numbers of output targets for New Research Ireland-funded PhD positions from 310 in 2023 to 200 in 2024, with a slight increase of 220 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…
964. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for programme expenditure to improve a significant decline and to address the lack of consistency in numbers of output targets for New Research Ireland-funded postdoctoral researchers funded by Research Ireland per annum from 309 in 2023 to 250 in 2024; the reason there is a slight increase of …
965. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for programme expenditure to address the numbers of invention disclosures from higher education institutes; the reasons there is a significant decrease from 486 in 2021, 400 in 2022 and 361 in 2023; to details of this for 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the ma…
966. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason there is still only an output target of just one female research professor since 2023 under his Department’s equality budgeting indicator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32535/25]
967. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken to address the significant decrease in FET learners from underrepresented backgrounds from 23,763 in 2023 to 19,474 in 2024; the reason there was a slight increase of 19,500 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32536/25]
968. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will be capping the current Solas admin, capital and general expenses to the welcome increase of €30,164 in 2025 from the previous €25,231 in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32537/25]
969. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will be capping the current grants to Solas for further education and training, to the welcome increase from €537,474 to €589, 221 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32539/25]
970. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason there is no consistency in numbers from his Department of Skillnet Ireland learners from the 2023 outturn target of 96,646 to the 2024 output target of 82,800 to the slightly increased output target of 84,000 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32540/25]
971. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason his Department’s programme expenditure has decided to decrease the outrun target numbers of places for Skillnet Ireland learners upskilling who are unemployed from the outrun target of 2,650 in 2023, 1,800 in 2024 and only 1,500 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32541/25…
972. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason his Department has continued to decrease the number of Springboard places available from the 2023 outturn target of 9,245 places; 8,225 places in 2024 and just 8,000 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32585/25]
973. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for detailed information on the six further education building projects marked as output targets for 2025; the reason there were no building projects planned for the years 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32586/25]
974. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans his Department has in addressing the numbers of SOLAS beneficiaries on training courses for those seeking employment, which significantly decreased from 78,502 in 2021 to 64,426 in 2022, in tabular form for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32587/25]
975. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans his Department has to address the shortage and dramatic decrease of QQI-registered further education and training providers from 345 in 2021, 317 in 2022 and just 176 in 2023; to provide updated details for 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32588/25…
976. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans his Department has to address the shortage and dramatic decrease of the number of QQI-registered further education and training providers that issued certification/certificates within the years 2021 (251), 2022 (216) and 2023 (169); if he will provide updated details on certification numbers fo…
977. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there will be an increase of funding from the National Training Fund for training grants to industry from the current amount of €6,500 since 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32590/25]
978. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department plans to increase the current estimate of funding from the National Training Fund for Springboard of €27,550 since 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32591/25]
979. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans his Department has to address the significant decrease in funding for the financial and human resource inputs for universities, technological universities and other bodies from €1,615,464 in 2024 to €1,468,309 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32592/25]
980. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department intends to cap the welcome increase in funding of public private partnership costs from €39,000 (NTF) in 2024 to €70,000 (NTF) in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32593/25]
981. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department intends to cap the welcome increase in funding of €7,807 from 2024 €5,559 for miscellaneous grants and services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32594/25]
982. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans his Department has to build on and expand the numbers of higher education students in the State, with the last figure from 2023 is at 202,450; if he will provide updated figures for 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32610/25]
983. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the current percentage of full-time higher education international students, with the last figure from 2023 showing they make up just 17% of students; to provide updated percentage figures for 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32611/25]
984. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science His Department's plans in addressing the significant decrease in numbers for Springboard enrolments with 11,033 enrolments in 2021, 10,545 in 2022 and just 9,444 in 2023; to provide updated figures for 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32612/25]
985. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department plans to address the demand for English-language students; and for an update on the number of English-language students for 2024 and 2025. [32613/25]
986. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason his Department has significantly reduced digital and capital investment and IT expenses from his programme allocations budget by 80% from €1,750 in 2024 to €349 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32614/25]