Written Answers Nos. 271-287
271. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of expanding course places on an annual basis across physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology by 50 places per course per relevant higher education institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41685/24]
View answerHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. The costs incurred by a HEI in increasing student places on a particular course or establishing an additional course can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances of the relevant HEI.
Where additionally is required on courses or a new course is required, specific engagement with the sector and external stakeholders is very often required. This process allows for a deeper consideration of wider issues such as capacity, staffing, other supports, availability of placements, capital investment in buildings and equipment etc. It is therefore, not possible to definitively calculate the costs sought in the absence of a specific engagement with the sector.
The delivery of healthcare programmes is complex and requires multiple parts of the health and education systems working together.
It should be noted that in recent years there has been a substantial expansion of therapy and key healthcare places in Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. In July, Government approved the prioritisation of funding to support the expansion of training places in priority healthcare areas including Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, as well as Physiotherapy.
This will contribute to delivering expansion in the region of 35% in these vital disciplines over the next two academic years. Additional places commencing in September 2024 include expanded intakes on Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Podiatric Medicine programmes in University of Galway, Physiotherapy in RCSI and the introduction of an undergraduate Occupational Therapy programme in University of Limerick.
Additionality delivered in recent years has seen over 460 permanent new higher education healthcare places created in September 2023 in Irish HEIs, and further capacity created in Northern Ireland, where an additional 80 places in allied healthcare disciplines in Ulster University in September 2023 were created for students from this jurisdiction. These places include 28 in Occupational Therapy and 10 in Speech and Language Therapy.
It is a priority for government that the mental health needs of adults and children are also being met and efforts are ongoing in order to increase the amount of psychologists both in clinical and education settings. As part of these efforts, funding was secured in Budget 2023 by the Department of Health to provide for sponsorship for Clinical and Counselling trainee Psychologist PhD programmes. This arrangement is not the responsibility of my Department, but the Department of Health and the HSE.
The Department of Education has been examining how it can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified Educational Psychologists and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.
Since January 2023, the Department of Education has supported bursaries for Trainee Educational Psychologists who are enrolled in the University College Dublin Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Mary Immaculate College Limerick’s Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology. Those in receipt of a bursary commit to joining NEPS upon graduation. There are over 60 Trainee Educational Psychologists in receipt of a bursary who are expected to join NEPS upon graduation, with an additional 14 to be awarded bursaries from September 2024, bringing the total to 74.
Enhancing student capacity to meet projected workforce demand is a key consideration of workforce planning and is key to enabling further expansion on these programmes. Practice education placements are essential to support clinical skills development and the application of theory to patient care and attainment of regulatory required standards of proficiency where applicable.
Extensive engagement is ongoing between officials in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and officials in the Department of Health, as well as the HSE and higher education sector. Work is underway on the oversight and infrastructure for clinical placements to enable further expansion.
272. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when funding will be made available to activate the apprenticeship increase payment that was agreed for introduction from 1 July 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41703/24]
View answerWith reference to PQ 41545/24 which is believed to relate to the same matter.
For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes including for the motor mechanic programme, the sectoral gross wage norms are either agreed within the relevant sector through collective bargaining agreements, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court.
Periods of off-the-job training are funded from the National Training Fund with payments made directly to craft apprentices by the education and training boards. Training allowances for apprentices are calculated with reference to gross-wage norms payable in industry for the different trade sectors.
The State Allowance for motor mechanic apprentices is currently under review by my Department and SOLAS and I hope to have further information shortly.
273. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of data breaches experienced by his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024; if a breakdown will be provided on the nature of the breaches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41735/24]
View answerPlease see below in tabular form the number of data breaches that occurred in my department since its establishment in 2020 and to date in 2024, and the numbers which were reported to the Data Protection Commission (the remainder were deemed to be of no risk due to their nature and therefore were not required to be reported to the DPC).
|
Year |
No. of Breaches |
No. of Breaches reported to DPC |
Cases still open |
|
2020 |
- |
||
|
2021 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
2022 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
2023 |
2 |
0 |
- |
|
2024 to date (14/10/24) |
2 |
1 |
- |
By way of background to the above figures, it should be noted that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25th May 2018.
86% of the data breaches that occurred in my department since 2020 are classified as unauthorised disclosure of personal data, while the balance fall under loss of personal data. Data breaches which occurred in my department were reported to the Data Protection Commission in line with the requirements of the legislation.
274. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total costs associated for his Department in relation to trips abroad taken by Ministers in his Department in each of the past five years and to date in 2024. [41753/24]
View answerThis information is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course.
275. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students who sought the SUSI grant on the grounds of parental alienation in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41763/24]
View answerFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.
Only in exceptional cases, where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians is provided, can candidates who are under 23 be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address, Article 21(3) (b) of the Scheme refers.
The assessment of a case of estrangement is carefully considered to ensure there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the exceptional circumstances pertaining in such cases genuinely exists. Cases of genuine estrangement are relatively rare and almost always will involve exceptional circumstances unique to a particular family situation. The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case. The type of documentary evidence required is dependent on the applicant's individual circumstances.
Please see below for the number of applicants who applied for a SUSI grant on the grounds of parental alienation from 2016/17 to 2024/25.
Please note that data from academic years prior to 2016/17 is not available.
|
Academic Year |
2016/17 |
2017/18 |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
2024/25* |
|
Total Applications Received Stating Parental Alienation |
99 |
136 |
107 |
152 |
214 |
262 |
222 |
184 |
114 |
* The current year’s figures (2024/25) may change as processing is ongoing.
276. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount spent by his Department on public relations in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41769/24]
View answerMy Department has not sought external public relations assistance at any time since it's establishment.
277. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total amount of consultancy fees incurred by his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41790/24]
View answerAttached is a report which reflects expenditure on consultancy fees, as recorded by my Department's Finance Unit, since the establishment of the Department in 2020 and up to 2024.
278. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount spent by his Department on traditional and online advertising in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41808/24]
View answerBelow is the advertising spend by my Department since it's establishment broken down by traditional and online.
|
Year |
Traditional(Press Radio and Outdoor) |
Online |
Total Advertising Spend |
|
2021 |
63,357.74 |
20,728.92 |
€84,088.65 |
|
2022 |
42,208.24 |
11,252.41 |
€53,460.65 |
|
2023 |
392,281.21 |
117,510.61 |
€509,791.82 |
|
2024 |
89,505.42 |
32,793.91 |
€122,299.33 |
279. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of legal cases taken against his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024; the costs incurred by his/her Department in relation to such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41869/24]
View answerI can clarify for the Deputy that no legal cases have been taken against my Department in 2024. This follows a similar response to a Parliamentary Question earlier in 2024 when the number for 2024 was zero. The number of cases taken against my Department over previous years is outlined in the table below. The Chief State Solicitor's Office, as Government solicitor, absorbs the costs of representing the Department.
Number of legal cases against DFHERIS:
Date Number
2020 39
2021 10
2022 4
2023 4
2024 0
Grand total 57
280. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason the €1,000 reduction in student contributions announced in the Budget 2025 is not available to students (details supplied) who are completing second degrees in college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42088/24]
View answerBudget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost of living. These cost of living measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for Free Fees eligible higher education students.
Under the progression criteria of the Free Fees scheme, it is not possible for a students to avail of free fees where they are undertaking a second course of study having previously completed an undergraduate course of study at level 8. The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. As the student to which the Deputy refers is not eligible for the Free Fees Initiative, they cannot benefit from the €1,000 reduction.
Students experiencing exceptional financial need may be eligible to apply for supports under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) which has been supplemented by a further €10m under the Government’s cost of education supports in Budget 2025. Applications for support can be made in confidence to the Access Office in the higher education institution attended. This Fund can be used to meet costs such as childcare, rent, transport costs, books/class materials etc.
281. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total cost associated with each Commission of Investigation under the remit of his Department in the past twenty years. [42459/24]
View answerSince the establishment of my Department in 2020, my officials have not participated in or incurred any expenditure associated with any Commissions of Investigation.
282. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of legal cases taken against her Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024; the costs incurred by her Department in relation to such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41722/24]
View answerThree legal cases have been taken against my Department since it was established in 2017. One of these cases was a judicial review which was subsequently withdrawn, with no costs incurred by the Department. The second case related to industrial relations and was settled, with the settlement subject to a non-disclosure agreement. Legal costs in this case amounted to €10,254. The third case, which is now closed, related to a specific island transport service. The total cost of this case, including legal costs and orders, amounted to €99,829.
283. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of data breaches experienced by her Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024; if a breakdown will be provided on the nature of the breaches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41740/24]
View answerMy Department is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals' data in accordance with our obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Where a data breach incident is believed to have occurred, it is notified to the Department’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) for assessment. This assessment by the DPO is carried out in accordance with guidance issued by the Data Protection Commission (DPC), with reporting to the DPC occurring, as required, following that assessment.
Since the establishment of DRCD in 2017, ten incidents have been notified to, and assessed by the DPO. Of these ten incidents, three data breaches required reporting to the DPC. The specific numbers for each year are provided in the table below.
It should be noted that all ten incidents involved instances of information being shared with an incorrect recipient. In the case of each incident, immediate remedial action was undertaken to mitigate negative impacts and measures were put in place to prevent re-occurrence.
|
Year |
Number of Data Breach Incidents |
Number of Data Breaches reported to DPC |
|
2017 |
0 |
0 |
|
2018 |
1 |
1 |
|
2019 |
0 |
0 |
|
2020 |
2 |
1 |
|
2021 |
1 |
0 |
|
2022 |
5 |
1 |
|
2023 |
1 |
0 |
|
2024 to date |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
10 |
3 |
284. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total costs associated for her Department in relation to trips abroad taken by Ministers in her Department in each of the past five years and to date in 2024. [41758/24]
View answerThe costs incurred by Ministers in my Department in relation to official trips abroad over the past 5 years, and to date in 2024, are outlined in the table below.
|
Year: |
Total Cost: |
|
2019 |
€11,416.09 |
|
2020 |
€361.10 |
|
2021 |
nil |
|
2022 |
€4,498.00 |
|
2023 |
€5,181.24 |
|
2024 to Date |
€3,014.76 |
285. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount spent by her Department on public relations in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41776/24]
View answerMy Department has not incurred any expenditure on public relations since its establishment in 2017.
In carrying out its functions my Department does, on occasion, use advertising and communications services for work such as public awareness, public consultations and raising awareness of funding schemes.
286. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total amount of consultancy fees incurred by her Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41795/24]
View answerConsultancy is defined by the Department of Finance as the provision of intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) through delivering reports, studies, assessments, recommendations, proposals, etc. that contribute to decision making or policy development.
The table below gives the total amount of consultancy fees incurred by my Department since establishment in 2017 to date in 2024.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2017 |
€68,298 |
|
2018 |
€132,358 |
|
2019 |
€574,431 |
|
2020 |
€361,683 |
|
2021 |
€429,230 |
|
2022 |
€416,383 |
|
2023 |
€582,767 |
|
2024 (to date) |
€189,417 |
A detailed breakdown of the annual expenditure on consultancy by my Department since its establishment in 2017 to end 2023 is available at gov.ie/drcd (Financial Information).
287. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount spent by her Department on traditional and online advertising in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [41813/24]
View answerMy Department's total expenditure in relation to traditional and online advertising, since its establishment in 2017, is laid out in the table below. It should be noted that the increased expenditure in 2024 relates to targeted communication campaigns on responsible dog ownership and with regard to the recent regulations with respect to the XL Bully type dog.
|
Traditional advertising |
Online advertising |
Total |
|
|
2017 |
€12,712 |
Nil |
€12,712 |
|
2018 |
€7,492 |
Nil |
€7,492 |
|
2019 |
€12,088 |
€6,754 |
€18,842 |
|
2020 |
€1,845 |
€167 |
€2,012 |
|
2021 |
€4,184 |
€4,798 |
€8,982 |
|
2022 |
€53,332 |
Nil |
€53,332 |
|
2023 |
€26,301 |
€8,271 |
€34,572 |
|
2024 (to date) |
€349,065 |
€97,354 |
€446,419 |
