Parliamentary questions

1093. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to improve the availability of apprenticeships outside Dublin and other larger towns and cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69798/25]

1094. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science following his announcement that professorships roles will be part of TU, the number professorships available, by each TU; the percentage of professorships that will be available across all TUs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69799/25]

1095. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to address the issue of isolation for apprentices who are in placements away from their support systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69800/25]

1096. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to improve the application process for apprenticeships similar to the CAO model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69801/25]

1097. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to address reports that the national apprenticeship office is understaffed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69802/25]

1098. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of people who have dropped out of apprenticeships in the past five years, broken down by the phase in which they have dropped out, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69952/25]

1099. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of training centres for apprenticeships across the country, broken down by their name, location and the number of apprenticeships offered, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69953/25]

1100. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress made on the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 to 2025; when a new plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69954/25]

1101. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total number of apprentices in the State; and the total number of craft apprentices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69955/25]

1102. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether contributions from the State or from employers towards the My Future Fund pension scheme will be reckonable as income for the purposes of assessing the eligibility of an individual or household for any means-tested services or schemes operated by his Department. [70023/2…

1103. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to address the difficulties students experience accessing documents to prove they are not dependents in their SUSI applications, in particular care leavers and survivors of domestic violence. [70115/25]

1104. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the average time over the past six years it has taken to produce a stamped final bill in his Department from the time when his Department has received government approval for the general scheme and the heads of a bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70274/25]

1105. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a schedule of all funding and grant aid provided by heading and subhead to Kildare, Wicklow and Meath Local Authorities in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the amount returned and or not expended over the same period. [70310/25]

1106. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the pending decision by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board to reduce the student allocation for the Limerick Youth Service from 100 to 80 in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70323/25]

1107. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the pending decision by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board to reduce the student allocation for the Limerick Youth Service from 100 to 80 in 2026; if he will intervene to reverse this decision (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matte…

544. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a performance and evaluation framework has been approved for the National Demonstration Park for Modern Methods of Construction at Mount Lucas, including baseline data, target indicators, and reporting mechanisms; and if not, to explain why construction has proceeded in the absence of d…

545. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if students attending private tutorial colleges (details supplied) are eligible to apply for SUSI grants; the criteria governing eligibility for students enrolled in such institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68926/25]

271. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the establishment of Ireland’s first AI factory antenna; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68264/25]

272. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to consider the suggestions made in correspondence (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68351/25]

273. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans there are to reduce the number of quangos and strip out the amassed red tape and bureaucracy that exists, in order to allow the delivery of projects under his Department’s remit in a more timely, efficient and customer-friendly manner; and if he will make a statement on the ma…

700. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken to improve access to higher education for students in north and mid-Cork; and if he will consider increased supports for rural students. [67285/25]

701. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps are being taken to expand lifelong learning, night courses and upskilling opportunities in further education centres across County Cork, particularly for workers in agriculture, manufacturing and the SME sector. [67286/25]

702. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to review the case of a person (details supplied); the reason this person was refused the special rate of SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67305/25]

703. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to review the case of a person (details supplied); if there is any avenue available to seek a review or appeal of the decision in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67343/25]

704. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of auto-enrolment pension scheme compliance for each university and technological university; the staff grades or contract types covered by such schemes; the staff grades or contract types not covered by such schemes or otherwise excluded; whether each university has communi…