Parliamentary questions

2105. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has received complaints from industry stakeholders on the responsiveness or effectiveness of SOLAS and the NAO in addressing construction sector needs; and to clarify the recourse available to those raising concerns. [58221/25]

2106. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has evaluated the effectiveness of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 in increasing construction apprenticeship numbers; and to provide the findings of any such evaluation. [58222/25]

2107. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific targets set under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025 for construction-related apprenticeships; and if these targets have been met, exceeded, or fallen short. [58223/25]

2108. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the lessons his Department has learned from the shortcomings of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025 in relation to construction workforce development; and the changes which will be made in the 2026-2030 strategy to address these gaps. [58224/25]

2109. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has conducted a gap analysis comparing current apprenticeship output with the labour demand required to meet the Government’s commitment to deliver 60,000 homes annually; and to provide a copy of that analysis. [58225/25]

2110. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department has considered the establishment of a separate, dedicated construction training board to operate independently of SOLAS; and the rationale for either pursuing or rejecting this proposal. [58226/25]

2111. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide the internal assessments, feasibility studies, or stakeholder consultations conducted by his Department regarding the creation of a construction training board focused solely on the needs of the construction sector. [58227/25]

2112. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific measures his Department will adopt to rapidly increase construction apprenticeship numbers, given the current crisis-level shortage and the urgent labour demands associated with national housing and infrastructure targets. [58228/25]

2113. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department can provide further and detailed information based on an online investigation report (details supplied) that listed Science Foundation Ireland as funding a researcher to the amount of $649,891 following their involvement with a network; and if he will make a stateme…

2114. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will clarify the policy under which an apprentice's training allowance is reduced when their employer rejects college placement offers, even though the apprentice has accepted the placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58348/25]

2115. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline the appeals process available to apprentices whose training allowances are reduced in such cases; if he will consider revising the guidelines to ensure apprentices are not financially penalised for circumstances beyond their control; and if he will make a statement o…

2116. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science following the announcement of Ireland's associate membership of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, CERN, the estimated level of additional funding and resource commitment Ireland will make over the next five years; the mechanisms by which regions outside Dublin for example, M…

2117. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is an update on the matter raised by the Workplace Relations Commission regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar with that of post primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58439/25]

2118. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department and bodies under its aegis have made tax settlements with the Revenue Commissioners in the past five years to date; and, if so, the amount in each case. [58458/25]

2119. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the second level calendar year. [58471/25]

2120. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of employees currently in his Department; the number of staff per year each year since 2015, by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58494/25]

2121. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of employees in each of the agencies under his Department's remit; the number employed per year each year since 2015, by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58512/25]

2122. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if it is still his plan to implement the major recommendations from the national review of State supports for PhD researchers, particularly around providing for additional financial supports other than stipends, and investigating whether certain cohorts of PhD researchers may benefit from…

2123. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will work with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to streamline visa application processes for non-EU PhD researchers, for instance by waiving the need to renew their immigration permission, and simply allowing their visa to last the duration of their research deg…

2124. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will work with higher education providers to standardise postgraduate fees across the higher education sector. [58625/25]

2125. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of apprentices registered each year from 2020 to 2024, by sector or industry, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58649/25]

2126. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for a full breakdown of costs from budget 2026 to increase 12,500 apprentice registrations as set out by the programme for Government target per annum by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58718/25]

2127. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of new places in medicine out of the 1,100 for the budget 2026 higher education allocation; the costs for the increase of these new places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58719/25]

2128. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the exact number of health and social care new places out of the 1,100 for the budget 2026 higher education allocation; the costs for the increase of these new places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58720/25]

2129. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the costs under the Budget 2026 Skills Development Programme and supported by the National Training Fund; the specifics of the expansion of the construction and green talent pipeline in support of Government priorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58721/25]