123. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures he is taking to address staffing shortages, escalating workloads, and declining staff-to-student ratios across higher education institutions; whether additional core funding will be allocated in 2026 to support recruitment and reduce reliance on precarious contracts; and if he will make a statem…
Topics / Third Level Staff
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsThird Level Staff
19 questions from 13 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 29 January 2026.
19
questions
19 written, 0 oral
13
TDs have asked
8
parties and groups
Independents counted together
1
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 3 |
| March 2025 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 5 |
| June 2025 | 0 |
| July 2025 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 0 |
| November 2025 | 0 |
| December 2025 | 4 |
| January 2026 | 3 |
| February 2026 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 0 |
| June 2026 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 0 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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3
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3
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2
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2
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1
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1
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1
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1
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
2630. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of academic and teaching staff which currently work in the TU sector; and the number of academic and teaching staff which currently work in traditional universities. [2506/26]
2631. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is considering amending the teaching requirements for academic staff in Technological Universities in order to bring them in line with their counterparts in traditional universities. [2507/26]
1094. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science following his announcement that professorships roles will be part of TU, the number professorships available, by each TU; the percentage of professorships that will be available across all TUs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69799/25]
705. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of clinical psychologist places in universities and institutes available across the State; and the number of clinical psychologist graduates from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [67448/25]
706. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of clinical psychologist graduates which did not continue with that career following graduation for the years 2020 to 2025; and the number of these graduates who went on to work within the HSE following their graduation for the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [67449/25]
719. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of Contracts of Indefinite Duration (CID) that have been awarded to staff at University College Galway from 2020 -2025; and the number of CID contracts currently under review, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68163/25]
153. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 43 of 27 March 2025, if the position remains vacant; the number of positions in the university occupied by a person in an ‘acting up’ capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37608/25]
892. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to report on the progression of the historic sectoral pension pay scheme with the University of Limerick, following recommendations of a report produced by the Department of Education in 2022. [27358/25]
1227. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address the governance issues identified in the CINNTE review of South East Technological University, including the delay in sanctioning the three senior vice-president posts required to strengthen their governance structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23404/25]
1228. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to resolve the staffing challenges at South East Technological University, including its inability to appoint professors due to current constraints and the ongoing need to monitor and support staff workload and well-being; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23405/2…
1229. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the actions he is taking to support South East Technological University in integrating its academic programmes across campuses, as recommended in the CINNTE review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23406/25]
1267. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if consideration has been given to offering teaching or research posts in Ireland to academics in the US who have experienced or are at risk of facing political discrimination by the Trump Administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24337/25]
67. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the demands by an organisation (details supplied) for protections for staff on precarious contracts in the tertiary education sector. [14650/25]
1915. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to outline the members of all technical university boards across the country; the process involved in selecting members for these boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11702/25]
845. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board tutors will receive proper employment contracts with guaranteed hours and improved conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6312/25]
270. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of additional teachers required to reduce pupil to teacher ratio in Irish universities to 1:20. [3754/25]
272. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of additional teachers required to reduce the pupil to teacher ratio in Irish Universities to 1:20. [3852/25]
1716. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide an update on the establishment of professorships at the Technological Universities. [1481/25]