Parliamentary questions

1299. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific proportion of the €1.5 billion National Training Fund surplus package which will be used to support businesses and particularly SMEs to participate in upskilling and reskilling staff in areas such as AI, the programmes funded by the NTF supporting workforce upskilling, fut…

1300. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the average time it took from phase 1 to completion for each apprenticeship, by trade, in County Kildare in 2025, in tabular form. [30441/26]

1301. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30479/26]

1302. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to reduce the third level contribution fees over the next number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30546/26]

1303. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will increase the SUSI grant given current levels do not fully reflect the rising cost of living for students and families. [30547/26]

1304. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if it is the current policy of his private office/Department to formally invite or notify all local Oireachtas members of constituency events at which Ministers are in attendance in the course of performing their ministerial duties and functions; if he will provide the Department's current p…

1305. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a list of all events across every constituency attended by the Minister in the course of his ministerial duties since 1 January 2026, where formal invitations/notifications to attend were not issued by his office to all local Oireachtas members; and if he will make a statement on …

1306. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific budgetary allocation from the National Training Fund (NTF) surplus under the National Training Fund (Amendment) Act 2025, earmarked for capital expenditure on buildings, laboratory and equipment upgrades versus direct investment in work-based training, upskilling and reskilli…

1307. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific proportion of the €1.5 billion National Training Fund surplus package which will be used to support businesses and particularly SMEs to participate in upskilling and reskilling staff in areas such as AI; the programmes funded by the NTF supporting workforce upskilling; future…

1308. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there are solar panels in place on the rooftop or within the grounds of his Department building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30698/26]

1309. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has a solar panel policy in place in relation to the installation of solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30716/26]

1310. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has a solar panel policy in place in relation to the installation of solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30736/26]

1311. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the merits of installing solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30753/26]

1312. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the merits of installing solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30774/26]

1313. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total allocation of funding to each State agency under his Department’s remit, broken down by the allocation to each agency, for each of the past 15 years, in tabular form. [30796/26]

1314. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total spend on consultancy firms by each State agency under his Department's remit, broken down by the allocation to each named consultancy firm, for each of the past 15 years, in tabular form. [30814/26]

1315. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding any buildings operated and owned by his Department that have solar panels in place to support the energy demands of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30844/26]

1316. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if student fees will be covered or reduced for medical students going into practice upon completion of their undergraduate degrees (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30936/26]

210. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide greater legal protections to students living in digs accommodation as more and more students find themselves in this situation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22252/26]

211. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of purpose-built student accommodation beds that will be available in the State for the coming academic year; the amount that this has grown on the previous academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22017/26]

212. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to confirm that there will be no job losses or loss of courses/classes in education training boards due to changes in the tendering process; the way in which the anomalies and inconsistencies uncovered by the EPS were allowed to happen; and his views on whether the level of governance…

213. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department collects or monitors data on the rate of youth emigration; the number of post-graduates who remain in the country after achieving their degree; and the numbers who leave, from each faculty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22144/26]

214. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding his work to make higher education and higher education institutions more accessible for those coming from communities with higher levels of disadvantage. [22300/26]

215. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the way his student accommodation plan will address the question of affordability in the short and medium term to relieve overburdened families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29029/26]

216. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which his Department plans to address construction labour force shortfalls and the impact that will have on housing delivery; if he will consider a State construction company to increase investment in training and apprenticeships, attract skilled labour home from abroad and an e…