Questions

732. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to list the cultural institutions, if any, including museums, galleries, libraries, archives, theatres, concert halls, bands, ensembles, and performing companies, operated or hosted by his Department and public bodies or semi-State companies under his Department's remit, identifying the State funding pr…

1492. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if supplementary funding will be provided in 2026 to address recognised legacy shortfalls in funding for public sector pay awards in the higher education sector; the estimated value of any such outstanding shortfall; and the measures planned to address these costs on a recurring basis through core grant…

1493. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of funding provided towards closing the identified funding gap of €307 million per annum since the publication of Funding the Future in May 2022; the remaining annual funding gap each year; and the cumulative value of these funding shortfalls over the period for each year, in tabular form. [6…

1510. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken by his Department to address the funding shortfall facing higher education institutions; the impact this shortfall is having on continuing and adult education programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65479/26]

94. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail the investment being made into further education in County Louth. [50088/26]

111. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether he has funded any innovation or research on Meanwhile Use. [49384/26]

112. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether he will respond to a recently published open letter with over 2,000 signatures, calling on Research Ireland to ringfence funding for non-commercial research at third level institutions. [50263/26]

120. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the funding available for a new registration system in TU Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48309/26]

130. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to address concerns raised by over 2,000 academics about the future of research in Ireland following an open letter to him recently. [49640/26]

933. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether any addendum, briefing note or supplementary documentation has been issued to universities indicating that educational psychology placements for additional doctorate trainees would be largely supported by NEPS; which universities received such documentation; whether it was approved by his Department; …

237. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline Ireland's level of investment in and policy on the use of quantum computing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46396/26]

238. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on whether prospective PhD students and postdoctoral researchers seeking funding commencing in 2027 will submit applications directly to Research Ireland or through higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46106/26]

1325. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the capital funding that has been allocated to support the development of pharmacy laboratory and clinical simulation facilities at South East Technological University following the establishment of its new department of pharmacy; whether similar investment is being considered to support pharmacy educ…

310. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding the mechanisms in place to support agencies under his remit to manage increasing operating costs including insurance, energy and fuel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31398/26]

1293. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he and his Department are aware of the work and early outcomes of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency in the United Kingdom; whether consideration has been given to establishing a similar high-risk, high-reward research funding body in Ireland; and if he will outline any plans to develop compa…

1298. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the comprehensive and disaggregated breakdown of the National Training Fund (NTF) expenditure for the 2025 fiscal year and planned allocations for 2026 across the specific categories of Higher Education, Further Education and Training (FET), apprenticeships, Skillnet Ireland, and other workplace training …

1299. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific proportion of the €1.5 billion National Training Fund surplus package which will be used to support businesses and particularly SMEs to participate in upskilling and reskilling staff in areas such as AI, the programmes funded by the NTF supporting workforce upskilling, future plans to support…

1306. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific budgetary allocation from the National Training Fund (NTF) surplus under the National Training Fund (Amendment) Act 2025, earmarked for capital expenditure on buildings, laboratory and equipment upgrades versus direct investment in work-based training, upskilling and reskilling; the projected ex…

1307. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the specific proportion of the €1.5 billion National Training Fund surplus package which will be used to support businesses and particularly SMEs to participate in upskilling and reskilling staff in areas such as AI; the programmes funded by the NTF supporting workforce upskilling; future plans to support wo…

1314. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total spend on consultancy firms by each State agency under his Department's remit, broken down by the allocation to each named consultancy firm, for each of the past 15 years, in tabular form. [30814/26]

580. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the date on which the last comprehensive expenditure report on the National Training Fund was published; when his Department plans to publish the next report evaluating National Training Fund expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29355/26]

902. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to confirm that adequate funding is in place for Research Irelands Postgraduate Scholarship Programme and Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme following reports from an organisation (details supplied) that staff have been informed of a cut to funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27970/26…

907. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will confirm whether a decision has been taken to terminate the Postgraduate Scholarship Programme and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme administered by Research Ireland; the timeline for this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28088/26]

908. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the consultation undertaken with representative bodies, including organisations (details supplied) prior to the reported decision to end these programmes. [28089/26]

3445. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide grants and/or funding specifically relating to potential issues in the transport sector which create barriers to the potential introduction of not-for-profit ridesharing platforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24237/26]