Questions

955. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to provide long-term, core funding to independent community education providers, to reduce reliance on short-term and project-based grants. [51133/25]

956. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the means by which the role of community education will be recognised and resourced in future strategies for adult learning and further education and training, in line with the recommendations of an organisation's (details supplied) pre-budget submission 2026. [51134/25]

957. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will meet with representatives of a body (details supplied), to hear directly the concerns of providers and learners about the sustainability of community education. [51135/25]

958. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware that Youthreach have had their budget cut by 30 percent (details supplied) affecting their ability to provide an education and support to 50 students, counselling services have been reduced from four days to one day every second week which is having a negative effect on young people availin…

959. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the Youthreach facilities that have faced funding cuts by ETBs and the measures being taken to ensure that teachers and staff do not have an increased workload due to a lack of supports. [51198/25]

960. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will ensure that a further review is carried out in relation to a SUSI grant assessment (details supplied); if he will confirm that all documentation provided by the applicant, including employer forms and school confirmation, was fully taken into account; if he will clarify the reason that after additi…

961. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount expended on cloud storage solutions in the past five years and to date in 2025; and if he will provide the data storage supplier, in tabular form. [51365/25]

962. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason for significantly reduced numbers allocated to the vocational training opportunities scheme programme for 2025/2026, when there is huge numbers of applications (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51378/25]

963. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of PhD candidates funded by Research Ireland, including legacy IRC/SFI awards, who have received stipend-equivalent maternity, paternity or adoptive leave supports in the years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the average duration and total cost; and a breakdown by HEI, discipline and funding stre…

964. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will universalise paid family leave supports (stipend continuation and no-cost extensions) across all publicly funded PhD candidates, regardless of funding channel (agency, HEI, or departmental/PI grants); the estimated number of candidates currently outside coverage; if ring-fenced funding will be pr…

965. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the current distribution of PhD stipend levels across HEIs and funders; the number and share below €25,000; if he will set a national baseline of at least €25,000 with annual indexation; to publish the full-year costings and implementation timeline for raising sub-baseline awards to the new floor; and if he…

966. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the progress which has been made on a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51418/25]

967. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to set out, for the 94 educational sites under the control of the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB), a site-by-site inventory (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51436/25]

968. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail, for each of the 94 DDLETB sites, total capital and maintenance expenditure in each of the past ten years, by project description, year, amount, funding source (Exchequer/SOLAS/ESF+ or other), and procurement route; and to include a separate line for energy upgrades (e.g. fabric works, heat pumps,…

969. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on the status of a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51438/25]

970. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to set out DDLETB's estate optimisation measures (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51440/25]

971. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the current waiting times for apprentices registered under the GRETB, including those on the manufacturing engineering programme; if he will outline the average and longest waiting times for block release training across all trades nationally; the reasons for these delays; and the measures b…

972. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is considering introducing a national training voucher scheme from the National Training Fund; and, if so, whether private or independent HEIs will be included in the upcoming National Training Fund legislation. [51687/25]

973. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is considering extending SUSI funding to all QQI-validated programmes at independent third level institutions. [51688/25]

974. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is considering including private and independent HEIs in the Unified Tertiary Framework, in order that students who obtain SUSI support at further education colleges do not lose out if progressing to such HEIs. [51689/25]

975. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline his Department's position regarding the collection and usage of student levies by higher educational institutions. [51690/25]

976. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is planning to regulate the prevalence of 'exploding licences' for ebooks and journal subscriptions for further and higher educational institutions. [51691/25]

977. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update regarding the work of officials within his Department towards encouraging access to graduate-entry medicine student loans. [51692/25]

978. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is planning to require higher education institutions to provide a booklist to students in advance of their courses beginning, to improve transparency in the costs students will have to incur for each course. [51693/25]

979. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider extending SUSI grant eligibility to students of all QQI-accredited courses. [51694/25]