Education and Training Provision

206. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the proposed major building project at Cavan Institute will proceed to the next stage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34848/26]

212. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on plans to deliver new, permanent accommodation for Dunboyne College of Further Education, Dunboyne, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34339/26]

573. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to reduce the time it takes to achieve a Professional Master's in Education (PME) from two years to one year, taking into account the cost of undertaking a PME; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34402/26]

1268. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of times the NTF Advisory Group has met since July 2022; the number of employer representatives who attended each meeting; and the specific recommendations from an organisation (details supplied) on enhancing enterprise input into governance and prioritisation of NTF expenditur…

1269. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether the National Training Fund has been leveraged to implement a dedicated Lifelong Learning Strategy to prepare workers for the digital and green twin transition, as recommended by an organisation (details supplied) in 2022; the total NTF expenditure on digital skills, green skills a…

1270. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will introduce a national training voucher scheme, as proposed by an organisation (details supplied) in 2022 and supported by the Indecon Review, to reimburse employers (particularly SMEs) for accredited in-company training; and if not, why the €283 million unspent in the NTF in 202…

1272. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the additional funding allocated to employer-led Skillnet networks and Regional Skills Fora Managers since 2022 to boost SME engagement and regional capacity, as called for by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will provide a regional breakdown showing expenditure in rural and …

1273. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether all NTF-funded programmes now meet the core statutory objectives of close-to-labour-market skills, upskilling those in employment and preparing people for employment, as insisted upon by an organisation (details supplied); the amount of NTF money reallocated to non-employer-aligne…

1274. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he accepts the conclusion in the report of an organisation (details supplied) of July 2022 that the accumulation of NTF surpluses is not caused by EU fiscal rules but is instead a political choice on expenditure prioritisation; whether he will now increase the Department's expenditure …

1275. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total funding allocated from the National Training Fund to Farm Business Skillnet and other agriculture-focused Skillnet networks in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; the number of farm businesses and participants supported by Farm Business Skillnet in those years; and whether he…

1276. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he accepts that practical, sector-specific training delivered through Farm Business Skillnet in areas such as farm management, sustainability, leadership and rural skills is exactly the type of close-to-labour-market investment that an organisation (details supplied) called for in its …

1282. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline what additional pharmacy training places are expected to be made available at University College Cork as part of the Government's €28.5 million investment in healthcare education announced as part of recent Dáil debates on cancer services; if he will provide a br…

1283. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps being taken to ensure that the new pharmacy programme established at South East Technological University is supported by adequate clinical placement infrastructure across all regions, including Munster; whether the model of collaboration formalised through the recent Memo…

1284. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department provides any financial support or incentives to encourage practising pharmacists to undertake postgraduate clinical pharmacy qualifications such as the part-time MSc in Clinical Pharmacy offered by University College Cork; if he will outline whether places on such…

579. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the proposal for the piloting of an incentivisation scheme by Skillnet Ireland to support business engagement in upskilling; the eligibility criteria for participating businesses; the specific budget earmarked for this pilot in 2026; the expected date of commencement; and if …

3435. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total amount currently held in the National Training Fund; the reason a surplus of approximately €2 billion has accumulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23802/26]

3436. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount of National Training Fund resources allocated annually over the past five years; the proportion of these funds directed towards in-employment training and upskilling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23803/26]

3437. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures in place to ensure that National Training Fund expenditure is aligned with identified skills shortages in sectors such as construction, healthcare and technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23804/26]

3438. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans in place to deploy the current surplus in the National Training Fund; the expected timeframe for this expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23805/26]

3439. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the legislative or administrative barriers that have limited the drawdown of National Training Fund resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23806/26]

3440. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the extent to which employers contributing to the National Training Fund are consulted on its allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23807/26]

3441. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the proportion of National Training Fund expenditure allocated to higher education institutions as opposed to direct workforce training;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23808/26]

3442. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether any emergency or accelerated programmes funded through the National Training Fund are planned to address current labour shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23945/26]

3443. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what reforms to the structure or governance of the National Training Fund are under consideration to prevent the accumulation of large unspent surpluses in future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23946/26]

3446. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the action his Department has taken with a view to increasing the number of dental training places for Irish students, taking into account that currently there are more non-Irish dental students being trained in Irish dental colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24329/2…