Parliamentary questions

1076. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount his Department has spent on advertising abroad aimed at encouraging Irish citizens to return home, broken down by year for 2024, 2025, and to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3791/26]

1077. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether he will legislate to ensure that personal assistants in third level institutes and education training boards are given permanent contracts for their services to disabled students. [3818/26]

1078. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on commitments made in advance of the 2024 General Election regarding the abolition of third-level student fees; if he will clarify comments made on 14 November 2024 during an engagement with a student at Dublin City University in which he stated that he would abolish such fees;…

1079. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the average time it took from phase one to completion for each apprenticeship, by trade in Cavan in each of the years 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3843/26]

1080. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for capital investment in further education facilities in Kildare in each of the years 2026 and 2027, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3844/26]

1081. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for new apprenticeships to be offered in County Wicklow; the timeframe to have them up and running; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3845/26]

1082. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the average time it took from phase one to completion for each apprenticeship, by trade in Sligo in each of the years 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3846/26]

1083. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of applicants for SUSI who were refused; the reasons for refusal; the number of applicants approved, in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3883/26]

1084. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether his Department’s current systems can identify the number of students enrolled in each individual English language education provider at present; if so, whether it can be published in an anonymised format (details supplied) to avoid identifying individual organisations and to …

1085. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to urgently intervene in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4188/26]

1086. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason there is no 2026 springboard courses available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4216/26]

1087. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports available for students undertaking part time higher and further education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4219/26]

1088. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of Irish-based community media and community-led media organisations that have been successful applicants under the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the total value of funding awarded to such organisations under each progra…

1089. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of people currently availing of training apprenticeships, by apprenticeship programme; the number of people currently eligible to undertake the next stage of their apprenticeship who are not currently in an apprenticeship programme; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

599. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will provide a detailed explanation about the ongoing technical issues with a new student record system at TU Dublin affecting all five campuses; of the 321 unregistered TU Dublin students impacted, if these students are still eligible to apply for SUSI grants; and i…

600. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department can take to support further and higher education students who because of college or university technical problems are unable to register and therefore cannot access their SUSI grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2935/26]

200. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will engage with Cork Dental Hospital with a view to increasing the number of training places for dental hygienists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2562/26]

201. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will engage with Cork Dental Hospital to increase the number of training places for dental nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2563/26]

202. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will provide additional finance to University College Cork and Cork Dental Hospital to increase the number of trainee places for dental students in view of the fact that the number of places currently available is the same number as 20 years ago; and if he will make a stat…

203. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the application process for higher scales for administrative grades below the grade of assistant principal operated in his Department (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2652/26]

204. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of apprentice registrations across all construction trades from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [2764/26]

205. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if plans are in place to address the disparity between the number of registrations by electrical apprentices and the number of registrations by apprentice block layers and plasterers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2765/26]

2566. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way in which the €35 million ringfenced skills package announced in Budget 2026 will be allocated to meet the most acute needs of employers in the midlands; if governance reforms to the National Training Fund will be introduced to give employers a stronger role in directing expenditu…

2567. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when his predecessor became aware of the exam papers for sale allegations; the actions he took when he became aware; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73901/25]

2568. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he became aware of the exam papers for sale allegations; the actions taken by the Department when it became aware; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73902/25]