Questions

126. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will follow the recommendation of the Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers and establish a new review group to look at the employment status of post-graduate workers and different models for doctoral training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6918/26]

127. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline his Department’s efforts to increase and accelerate provision of student accommodation in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5473/26]

128. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on plans to deliver new, permanent accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5367/26]

129. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the current regional distribution of capital investment in higher education infrastructure, in view of growing concerns that universities and technological universities in the west and north-west are falling behind due to underfunding; the steps he is taking to ensure balanced regional development; and if he…

130. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the broad services provided in Millstreet FET Centre; the number of attendees in each of the years 2023-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6775/26]

131. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of extra college places being created in September 2026 and September 2027 to ensure adequate supply of new speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, to meet the increasing demands of the care system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6995/26]

132. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to increase student accommodation delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6936/26]

133. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to make apprenticeships more accessible across the country. [7011/26]

134. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans his Department has to increase the mental health supports provided in further and higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6844/26]

135. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which his Department is promoting social inclusion contracts through capital work management programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6847/26]

136. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is following developments to bring diverse further education and training streams together under a single brand such as the Dublin college initiative being led by DDLETB; whether he is encouraging other education and training boards to take a similar approach in order to strengthen their further and …

137. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if fees will be abolished over the lifetime of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6723/26]

138. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if it is his intention to reduce fees for under- and postgraduates in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6921/26]

139. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the actions he is taking to ensure that every third level campus and coursework requirements are fully accessible for any student or staff member with a disability to prevent any barrier to education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5996/26]

140. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the Action Plan for Apprenticeships 2026–2030; when the plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6845/26]

141. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the progress of the merger of Dundalk Institute of Technology and Queen’s University of Belfast. [6777/26]

142. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to independent students who have become estranged from their families after the age of 18 years, but are struggling to provide sufficient documentation to prove their independence in order that they can access SUSI; if he plans to revise the rules regarding eligibility to b…

143. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the initiatives his Department are implementing to improve gender balance across apprenticeship recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6867/26]

144. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps being taken to accelerate delivery of new FET infrastructure, given the growing demand for apprenticeships and upskilling opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6866/26]

145. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if shared island funding could be used to advance the development of capital infrastructure at Dundalk Institute of Technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6778/26]

146. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether his Department is assessing the extension or adaptation of existing funding and approval mechanisms for student housing developments; whether consideration is being given to a streamlined or single-stage approval process for publicly supported student accommodation projects; and if he will make a stat…

147. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the date for the publication of the updated National Student Accommodation Strategy (2025-2035), which was due to be published in 2024; the reason for the delay in publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7006/26]

148. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline his Department’s plans to increase the number of apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6909/26]

149. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has carried out any analysis of university courses in which maximum leaving certificate points did not guarantee admission due to demand; if he will list the courses where this applied, alongside the number of places available through the CAO for these courses and the number of places availa…

150. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to access courses offered in various universities to mature students and school leavers from underrepresented backgrounds, the number of persons who have been enrolled in access courses in the State in each of the past ten years [5982/26]