Parliamentary questions

426. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of introducing a minimum allowance, minimum wage rate, for apprentices during off-the-job-training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28054/25]

427. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of extending SUSI to students studying in the north; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28055/25]

428. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of increasing the maintenance grant by 25 percent on 2022-2023 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28056/25]

429. 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. [28057/25]

430. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of moving to a unitary apprenticeship system based on the craft model (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28060/25]

431. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of increasing the North-South Research Programme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28061/25]

432. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of expanding the SUSI bracket 5,000 full fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28062/25]

433. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of expanding the bracket for 5,000 half fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28063/25]

434. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the share of Science Foundation Ireland grants for research and the share that is used all other expenses such as administrative costs by Science Foundation Ireland, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28074/25]

435. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for a breakdown of costs for the ‘fund for student’s with a disability (FSD) for the years 2020 to 2025 across all further education and training FET courses, in tabular form.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28391/25]

436. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the investments planned for funding for Irish language education at third level, supporting the promotion and preservation of the Irish language. [28392/25]

437. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the one-off increase of €5,000 will remain in place in this year’s annual option paper for the post graduate fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28393/25]

438. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what the increase cost of the maintenance grant for post graduate students was, which was effective from January 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28394/25]

439. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science given the significant surplus in the National Training Fund, how the Government intends to utilise these funds to address underinvestment in higher education and support strategic initiatives outlined in the Annual Options Paper. [28395/25]

440. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on the exact cost of guardianship payments to non-legal guardians as an eligible payment; the amount the special rate is for this grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28396/25]

441. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for a breakdown of costs for the special rate threshold from €25,000 to €26,200 in 2024-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28397/25]

442. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for breakdown of costs based on the increased holiday earnings threshold from €6,552 to €7,925 from 2024-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28398/25]

807. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to deploy a person at the grade of assistant principal officer level, from within his Department, to be posted at the Irish Embassy London. [26695/25]

808. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of funding allocated to the inclusive environment fund, in each year since its establishment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26743/25]

809. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if framework-based procurement is included in his Department’s reporting of “tendered” procurement in its annual accounts; if so, to distinguish between contracts awarded via framework mini-competition, contracts awarded via direct drawdown from a framework without competition and framewo…

810. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide a list of all framework agreements used by his Department or its agencies since 2022, by name and description of framework; if it was established by his Department, the OGP, or another central/sectoral body; if it is a single-supplier or multi-supplier framework; if drawdowns r…

811. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if all drawdowns from frameworks by his Department or its agencies from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024, valued over €25,000 were accompanied by publication of a contract award notice on the eTenders portal as required by Circular 05/2023; and if not, to list any known contracts where …

812. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on the work of officials within his Department in analysing alternative ways of funding third level education in lieu of the current 'student contribution' model. [27242/25]

813. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on the work of the apprenticeship policy unit within his Department on the review of the current Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025; and when the proposed successor to the action plan can be expected. [27243/25]

814. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on the implementation of the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27244/25]