Donna McGettigan

There is a huge issue with parity of esteem within further and higher education and that needed to be addressed. There should not be this distinction between our institutions and those wishing to pursue their education, whether at Trinity College or a TU. The development of technological universities has undoubtedly been a hugely impactful and positive change for higher education, boosting regions…

The potential for massive increases in research and development if professors accounted for 5% of TU staff by 2030 is very significant. This would also increase postgraduate research student numbers and EU Horizon research funding, which could reach €80 million per year. The overall economic impact nationally would be in the region of €2.8 billion. Getting to 5% of TU staff by 2030 would be welcom…

The Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, spoke last week at Shannon Airport and said he would like to see a rail link built to the airport in the future. However, he failed to give any certainty about the project. When asked about the timelines for the project, he was vague and unconvincing. Given the Minister's interest, it was notable that the project was absent from the national deve…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(c) these payments to only relate to training and upskilling and not for any other purpose; these payments to only relate to the construction or reconstruction (not retrofitting) of a premises that is only used for training and educational purposes.”.”. The diversion of a portion of the employer-contributed f…

Should moneys for this purpose not be coming from Exchequer capital expenditure rather than the NTF? As the Minister set out when he spoke on Committee Stage and again today, the NTF is to be used "to raise the skills", "to provide training" and "to provide information". We could very quickly go through that surplus if we were to use it for retrofitting and on buildings. In such circumstances, we …

In terms of the purchasing of land, I think the amendment should definitely stand. I would be fearful if there is no guarantee preventing a future Minister from changing that to buy buildings for anything other than upskilling and training. It needs to be clear in black and white that that is what the payments are for, so I will press the amendment.

We were told time and time again that this is a 100% redress scheme but it is not. What we see before us again today is evidence of that. The scheme is not fit for purpose and the evidence is there for anyone to look at. Behind every fact, figure and departmental line lies a human story of families who suffer every day. They are families who wonder every time Met Éireann issues a warning if this i…

A number of constituents have raised concerns with me about the CCTV camera system in Shannon Town Park. Despite a number of antisocial behaviour incidents, the cameras are not operational. Under Part 5 of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act, which was signed into law in 2023, a code of practice for CCTV was to be drawn up. Almost two years later, however, the code has not been drawn up and…

I commend my colleagues Matt Carthy and Maria McCormack on enabling this vital Bill to be brought here this evening. Their work and the work of the brave campaigners made this happen. I salute the very brave women who made the powerful and difficult step of speaking out. For them, this Bill will come too late but in an unselfish act, they want this Bill to be brought in to protect others so they d…

Recently, Home and Community Care Ireland, HCCI, published its new report and witness for home and community care throughout the State. Home and Community Care Ireland is an umbrella group for home and community care providers across Ireland. Its report is based on the latest available statistics. The report makes for grim reading, with almost 5,000 people currently waiting for home care, but what…

It is a pity the Minister for Health is not here because, unfortunately, the Minister of State has been left to read out a response which indicates that he has not even heard what I have been saying. The answer he has read suggests that the Department has exceeded targets but we are not seeing that in County Clare. The answer does not tell us what we want to hear. While I thank HCCI for this repor…

Mercosur will allow the cheap importation of beef, poultry, pork, sugar and biofuels produced to lower standards than ours. Our Food Safety Authority was established after several high-profile outbreaks and deaths from food-borne illnesses, and its commitment since to openness and transparency has helped us as consumers to look for and demand healthier food. Knowing where our food comes from, its …

I welcome science week as an important moment for children at primary level, further and higher level students and our educators. This is a celebration of the achievements of science and the advances in rapid technological change. Science week promotes STEM and hands-on learning. It also inspires future scientists and creates curiosity in young minds, making science more accessible, and provides a…

We all see it every year: the proud photos of our little ones in their school uniforms standing tall and smiling on the first day back. Those bright faces fill our social media feeds but what the photos do not show are the stress, the struggle and the sacrifice of the parents or guardians behind the camera, the sleepless nights worrying about how to afford it all. For far too many families, 54% of…

We have a great opportunity to reunite our county and our people, and to have engagement through a citizens' assembly with all sectors of our island. It is long past time for the Irish Government to prepare for the reunification of our country. It is particularly important that a citizens' assembly is established to allow anyone, North or South, to have their say and provide their input to the pro…

1. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for clarification on local training initiative operating guidelines, which state that any income received towards the running costs of an LTI , whether from earned income or secondary grant aiding, must be offset as income in the LTI monthly claim form. [56420/25]

The local training initiatives, LTIs, operating guidelines states that any income received towards the running costs of a LTI, whether from earned income or secondary grant aid, must be offset as income in the LTI monthly claim form. This clearly demonstrates that LTIs are not financially independent and cannot generate or retain income to improve wages or conditions as all funding is fully contro…

I welcome that. I agree with the Minister that they are well needed and well placed. They help people get their foot on the ladder. They are in communities. There is a real issue with the lack of transparency, which the Minister has pointed out as well. The pay and conditions for staff in both LTIs and community training centres, CTCs, are determined through a central process involving negotiation…

I appreciate those words. I am glad to hear that this will all be worked out. As the Minister said, it needs to be simplified and streamlined. The last letter that went out from the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin's office in 2025 states that LTIs are independent. This needs to be clarified for those LTIs out there that are trying to work through this. The fact the Department instructed SOLAS in …

3. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science research, innovation and science the details of the missed targets in the last accommodation strategy; the reason this occurred; the reason no mention was made of this in budget 2026; the targets currently; and if new funding will be put in place for same. [56421/25]

I looked through the budget documentation but found no mention of student accommodation, which was quite shocking to me. I still have not received information on why the shortfall in student accommodation has happened. The strategy missed it targets but there has been no explanation for this. It is no secret that there is a crisis for students and families who are currently in distress trying to f…

What the Minister, Deputy Chambers, talked about was accommodation that was already delivered. He spoke about Maynooth, which is already delivered, and UCD, which is already in the process of being delivered. He did not mention anything new. How much later in the year is the Minister talking about for the publication of the strategy? We are now in October and people are anxious to see it. I have …

I will have to look into that. The Minister said he recently approved funding of €67 million but that funding was announced in April 2024. It is not new funding. There is no mention of DCU, which has gone to tender and already has plans in place. All it is waiting for is permission to go ahead. This fund of €100 million was announced back in 2024; it is not new funding. Is there going to be new f…

I welcome this Bill and thank the Minister for bringing it forward. I also welcome his commitments on this. The NTF was established by the National Training Fund Act 2000 as a dedicated fund to support the training of those in employment and those seeking employment. Its aim is to support the development of a highly skilled and adaptable workforce, ensuring that Ireland remains competitive in a gl…

I welcome this motion and commend Deputy Ward on bringing it forward. There are families trapped in homes that are unsafe and that are literally crumbling around them. They put their faith in the defective block scheme. They filled out every form and jumped through every hoop and now some are being punished for being too early, for daring to hope that the Government would stand by them in their ho…