Parliamentary questions

268. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when a new national student accommodation strategy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3732/25]

269. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to provide additional capacity for the study of occupational therapy; and if he has engaged with the Minister for Health on the matter. [3734/25]

270. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of additional teachers required to reduce pupil to teacher ratio in Irish universities to 1:20. [3754/25]

271. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of each time his Department, or public bodies under the aegis of his Department, enlisted the services of consultants in 2023 and 2024; the purpose, value, and duration of each contract in relation to public bodies under the aegis of his Department, including where consultin…

272. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of additional teachers required to reduce the pupil to teacher ratio in Irish Universities to 1:20. [3852/25]

1369. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of requests to his Department that have granted for various matters (details supplied); the number of such requests that have been refused; and the grounds on which they have been refused. [2499/25]

1370. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when contact was made with the European Commission seeking assistance through the European Social Fund to help deal with difficulties arising from storm Éowyn; the outcome of such discussions, if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3540/25]

1371. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to urgently address the shortfall in student accommodation countrywide and ensure that all available student accommodation is being used for that purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2336/25]

1372. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to allow for mortgage repayments to be disregarded when assessing the income threshold for the SUSI grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2337/25]

1373. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to allow for students on apprenticeships to do the college segments of their programme in the nearest college to their home as possible (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2340/25]

1374. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the students included in the €1,000 one-off reduction for the student contribution fee will also include those students that complete online study on a full-time basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2473/25]

1375. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline, given his sponsorship of the Industrial Development (Science Foundation Ireland) (Amendment) Bill 2018, the plans he has to introduce legislation to amend the Research and Innovation Act 2024 in accordance with his stated views on the inadequacy of funding of oriented basic r…

1376. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason some online full-time courses (details supplied) are no longer eligible for the €1,000 subsidy for student contribution fees, despite being eligible in previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2730/25]

1377. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will publish the ministerial brief he received following the recent formation of the Government. [2762/25]

1378. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to visit the east coast of the United States on an education trade mission before Easter 2025. [2895/25]

1379. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a schedule of special advisers attached to him, as of 29 January 2025; and the official grade and or title held by that special adviser. [2999/25]

1380. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider a conversion programme for graduates who have completed an intellectual disability nursing programme and wish to transfer to general nursing. [3074/25]

1381. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department, or any body under its aegis, currently outsources cleaning services and/or service officer/security officer roles to private companies; the value and length of any related contract, by body, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3198/25]

1382. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department, or any body under its aegis, currently directly employs cleaners and/or service officers; if so, the number of staff employed in each role; the value and length of any related contract, by body, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3216/2…

1383. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total value of the annual mileage claims for each Minister of State assigned to his Department in 2023 and 2024 respectively; to provide a breakdown for each year of the individual claims; the annual cost of overnight allowances related to the civilian drivers of each relevant Minister o…

1384. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to list the composition of his private office, inclusive of the grade and increment of each civil servant assigned to the office; whether they are located in the private or constituency office; the value of any allowance paid to those individuals and the purpose of each allowance; and if he …

1385. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to the programme for Government commitment, if he will provide details as to how his Department will examine the provision of the personal assistants initiative for persons with a disability in third level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3477/25]

1386. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures his Department is taking to encourage civil servants in his Department to take or avail of special leave or career breaks, or other forms of leave to encourage and facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU presidency, the Government "Career for EU" jobs strategy, and the Dep…

1691. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of civil servants in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, who were on career break in 2023 or 2024, by month and grade, and by length of career break; the number of civil servants in his Department and in agencies under the aegis of his Dep…

1692. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of vacancies, by month and by grade, in his Department, and in agencies under the aegis of his Department, in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46210/24]