Peadar Tóibín
Question:4. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to encourage more young people into apprenticeships and trades. [40066/24]
View answerApprenticeship Programmes
Questions (4)
Written answers
My Department's Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 aims to make apprenticeship highly visible and strongly recognised by learners, parents, family and career guidance professionals through a dedicated information campaign, and to promote apprenticeship as an attractive route to qualifications and a career.
The National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) has led regular targeted marketing and promotional campaigns targeting young people, including most recently an all Island radio, TV, and print media campaign on the same week as the Leaving Certificate results featuring positive apprentice testimonials from across the 77 national apprenticeship programmes.
My Department launched the “Building Heroes” campaign in April 2024 which takes a peer-to-peer approach to highlighting the opportunities, as well as promoting more positive public attitudes, regarding careers in today's construction sector. Since the launch the campaign has had more than three million impressions online and construction apprentices have appeared on national media including on 2FM to share their stories directly.
My Department also sponsors WorldSkills Ireland, a national event that promotes skills based careers and apprenticeship directly to second level students, parents and guidance counsellors. This year's event was held in September with almost 30,000 senior cycle students attending.
Recognising the impact of living costs on decisions to partake in education, I am pleased to say that I have announced a once off 33% reduction to the student fee for the 14,000 apprentices attending higher education institutes to assist with the cost of living for those who earn while they learn.
Bursaries are also available to support apprentices from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and to incentivise employers to support gender balance in apprenticeship programmes.
Combined, these measures support my Department's goal of encouraging school-leavers and young adults to choose apprenticeship and trades.
Questions Nos. 5-14, inclusive, answered orally.
Third Level Education
Questions (15)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Question:15. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding the engineering building in SETU, and progress of the bundle 2 procurement process; his plans to ensure a timely commencement of the construction of the new engineering building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39802/24]
View answerWritten answers
There are 11 projects being progressed through PPP projects in two bundles. Bundle 1 consists of six projects that are currently in construction. Bundle 2 consists of five projects, two at the SETU campuses of Waterford and Carlow, two at the ATU campuses of Galway and Letterkenny and one in TUS Limerick.
The new Engineering, Computing and General Teaching building planned at SETU Waterford Campus will consist of undergraduate and postgraduate laboratories, general and specialised teaching space, learning resource space, administration space and ancillary space.
The final tender for Bundle 2 was received in March 2024 and the procurement is now moving to Financial Close. Upon a satisfactory conclusion of this vital last element of the procurement process, construction is expected to commence in Q1 2025. Construction durations for the five Bundle 2 projects vary from 26 to 36 months with the engineering building in SETU, being the largest, taking 36 months.
Apprenticeship Programmes
Questions (16)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:16. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on how the recruitment campaign for craft apprentice instructors by the education and training boards is progressing; the number of instructors that have been recruited in Cork; the areas they will be teaching in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39993/24]
View answerWritten answers
The National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) launched a recruitment campaign in November 2023 as part of the plan agreed with my Department to significantly increase State training capacity to meet the rising demand for craft apprenticeship.
The NAO allocated €149,000 to this campaign which targeted potential recruits on social media, radio, and digital audio and video.
To support the campaign, my Department sanctioned 134 instructor posts. To date over 87 posts have been filled nationally, with 3 more offers in progress. Further posts will be advertised throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025.
Additionally, over 80 instructor posts were converted from fixed term to permanent which was important to support retention in the apprenticeship workforce.
Since the recruitment campaign began, Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) have hired 8 instructors, with 7 being appointed to the Bishopstown main campus and 1 to the Carrigaline campus. They will deliver the Electrical, Motor Mechanics, Electrical Instrumentation, and Pipefitting apprenticeship programmes.
Expanding the instructor staff workforce in ETBs has been an important measure to increase craft training places and support the skills requirements of the construction sector in particular.
In Cork ETB, apprentice training capacity has increased from 441 places in 2023 to 626 places in 2024 - an increase of over 40 per cent.
My recent announcement of €77.4m investment for apprenticeship in Budget 2025 is another important step to provide the resourcing required for an apprenticeship workforce that will teach the next generation of skilled tradespeople and support our economy.
Student Accommodation
Questions (17, 19)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:17. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline his strategy for addressing student accommodation shortfalls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40032/24]
View answer
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:19. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the measures being taken to address the shortage of third-level student accommodation; the measures being taken to ensure affordability of rents charged to students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40029/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 19 together.
I am developing a new Student Accommodation Strategy to create an environment where accommodation cost and availability does not act as a barrier to attending third level education.
The strategy will include measures to increase the supply of state supported student accommodation, reduce the cost of delivery through standardised design guidance and promote efficient use of existing building stock through refurbishment and an examination of vacancy.
To inform the strategy, the Technological University study is progressing in tandem with the Standardised Design Study. This study will ensure high standard appropriate accommodation is available for students with a view to creating efficiencies and reducing rent rates. A report on this study is due in December.
€100 million in capital investment from the NDP was committed in 2024. This allowed the progression of 1,014 new Purpose-Built Student Accommodation beds in MU, DCU and UCD. 30% of the new beds will be ring-fenced for target group students at below market rates.
The allocation of €6million annual funding in Budget 2025 will support the activation of up to 1,200 student accommodation beds in our regional campus locations, through a leasing programme.
A further €1million secured to provide accommodation officers in campus locations to support students and accommodation needs.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2024 came into operation on 19th July, ensuring that Student Specific Accommodation leases/licences are aligned to the traditional academic calendar (up to a maximum of 41 weeks). This legislation prevents students being forced into longer leases and thus potentially reduces annual rental by up to 25%.
In addition, promotional campaigns have resulted in a significant increase of immediate supply through digs accommodation. As of the 30th of September 2024, approximately 5,200 digs beds are being advertised by our universities and colleges. This is an increase of 1,900 advertised beds since the beginning of my Department’s rent-a-room campaign and an additional 2,800 beds when compared to the same period in 2023.
Third Level Education
Questions (18)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Question:18. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the position regarding the assignment of a new pharmacy school to applicant universities to address the significant shortfall of pharmacists working in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39801/24]
View answerWritten answers
Increasing the number of places on key health and social care programmes is a priority for my Department. In October 2022, the Higher Education Authority sought proposals from higher education institutions interested in building capacity in a number of critical disciplines, including Pharmacy. The HEA assessed the proposals for new programmes with assistance from a panel of experts. The panel was comprised of representatives from relevant Government Departments and regulatory and professional bodies that have direct professional experience and/or academic expertise in the relevant disciplines, or knowledge of the higher education system at a senior level.?This included the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.? The HEA process examined the feasibility and viability of proposals and has produced a set of costed options for consideration, subject to normal public spending code and capital project governance processes in respect of associated capital proposals. Stemming from the HEA process, in September I announced the locations of the two new schools of Veterinary Medicine, and I expect to be in a position very shortly to make a very significant announcement in relation to the expansion of healthcare provision, including the provision of a substantial number of additional places in Pharmacy.
I will continue to work with the education sector and the Department of Health to provide further expansion of places in the area of Pharmacy in higher education.
Question No. 19 answered with Question No. 17.
Third Level Fees
Questions (20)
Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:20. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider abolishing third level student fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40033/24]
View answerWritten answers
I am conscious of the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to attending higher education.
As part of Budget 2025 we have introduced a range of cost of living supports and permanent adjustments to further support students with tuition fee and other costs.
The cost-of-living measures includes one off funded reductions in the student contribution payable by free fees eligible students and an increase in the Postgraduate Fee Contribution for 2024/25.
The Government has introduced a number of measures aimed at addressing the cost of education which support students and their families. In recent years we have made significant improvements to fee supports available through SUSI including the introduction of a €500 student contribution grant, the introduction of part time fee grants for the first time and the full restoration of student maintenance grants for postgraduates.
Under the student grant scheme operated by SUSI on behalf of my Department, over 43,000 students had their fees fully paid in the last academic year. A further 24,000 students either had half their fees paid or received a €500 grant towards their student contribution.
I am making further permanent improvements to the Student Grant Schemes effective from September 2025 by increasing income thresholds and the Government is increasing the Rent Tax Credit to €1,000. I'm also providing additional funding for students via the Student Assistance Fund.
These changes demonstrate the Government's the cost of education in a sustainable manner alongside improving the wider supports available to students and their families.