Parliamentary questions

1653. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when discussions regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the second level calendar year will conclude; when an announcement will be made regarding those discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29587/25]

1654. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason further education and training funding to the LMETB was cut (details supplied) for service plan 2025; if he will immediately reverse this cut; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29673/25]

1655. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the Research Ireland (RI) criteria for applications deemed 'high-risk' and the reasons for rejection without any constructive feedback on same (details supplied); the criteria for qualifications of those tasked to approve the applications relevant to the application itself; the RI pol…

1656. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a breakdown of third level courses for several roles (details supplied); the number of students that selected these courses as their first preference on their application to the CAO, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29994/25]

1657. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if under-23-year-olds who are living independently but not estranged from their parents can apply for SUSI independently of their parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30101/25]

1658. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider expanding social care qualifications through the Springboard+ initiative for staff working in Section 39 organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30161/25]

1659. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he last met formally with the Dean of UCD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30291/25]

1660. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the nature of capital works funded either by his Department and or the Higher Education Authority at Dublin City University in 2024 and to-date in 2025; when will each of those capital works project be completed, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30292/…

1661. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of funding allocated to Youthreach Services in Cavan-Monaghan in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30293/25]

1662. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he last met formally with the Dean of Trinity College Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30294/25]

1663. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the new, targeted measures that have been introduced since the publication of the 2023 Funding the Future – Options Paper on the Cost of Higher Education to directly reduce the financial burden of graduate entry medicine tuition fees for socio-economically disadvantaged students; and if h…

1664. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department holds or has requested data on the socio-economic background of applicants and entrants to graduate entry medicine programmes over the past five years; and if so, to publish a breakdown by income decile or deprivation index to allow analysis of equity in access. [30489/2…

1665. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is a formal mechanism within his Department to monitor socio-economic equity in access to graduate entry medicine programmes; and if not, whether he intends to establish one in light of consistent Higher Education Authority data showing the underrepresentation of disadvantaged st…

1666. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is any available information in relation to the cancellation of intake for apprenticeship phase 2 classes at certain specific SOLAS training centres due to the lack of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30588/25]

1667. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the publication of the strategic plan for student accommodation will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30589/25]

1668. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason mental health is not considered under exceptional circumstances by the Student Grant Appeals Board where a student seeks a SUSI grant for a repeat year at third level; if there is an understanding that mental health is difficult to prove as regards medical evidence which mak…

1669. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused a SUSI grant where it is clearly shown that their repeat year was under exceptional circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30666/25]

681. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of providing an additional 200 medical places to meet the increased need for doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28508/25]

682. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the accommodation crisis at University Limerick; the steps being taking to address the matter; if he is aware of students from Kerry having to commute up to six hours per day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28436/25]

683. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the €1,000 reduction relating specifically to the student contribution payable by students eligible for free tuition in publicly funded third level colleges will be available for the coming academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28462/25]

684. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the immediate opportunities available to a student looking to commence a level 8 course in September 2025 but currently fails to meet the maths requirement for enrolment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28482/25]

685. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of extending the free fees initiative to cover graduate entry medicine students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28507/25]

686. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason there are still the same number of dental students as 25 years ago; the reason most of these are from overseas; and the number of dental students registered in each of the past 25 years, along with details on their nationality, in tabular form. [28509/25]

687. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the cost of increasing new entrant undergraduate places for medicine, dental studies, nursing and midwifery, and all health and social care professions by 10%, providing the unit cost for each, the number of existing places for each, and the number of additional places for each, in tab…

688. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of year-one student enrolments in medical, dental, nursing, and health and social care professions, for each intake year for 2022-2024, in tabular form; the number of CAO places; and the cost of each place. [28615/25]