Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
199. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department is taking to develop and reform the placement and allocation system for apprentices, ensuring that these are reasonably within a commutable area close to where they live; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67911/25]
View answerOne of the biggest issues for apprentices is placements for educational training. While there is an option to swap placements, sometimes there is not enough time to do this or to find someone to swap with. Apprentices have no idea where they will be placed, causing huge stress as they will need to budget for this added expense. Furthermore, the accommodation allowance for this is only €70 per week. Does the Minister accept that more supports are needed in the current cost-of-living crisis? If we consider the cost of rent in the country, the current system is forcing people into paying double for their accommodation and this is not acceptable.
I thank Deputy McGettigan. I understand well the issue that she raises and I share her concern. It is well-placed. I have heard this myself from apprentices out in the field in different locations. I have heard about the challenges they face when they are sometimes placed somewhere far from home and how difficult that is to manage. Finding accommodation, of course, is a big complication as part of that as well.
I know the Deputy raised this issue before the committee recently when she was there with SOLAS. I have raised it with SOLAS myself on a number of occasions, including very recently. I have actually asked SOLAS as a starting point to review the current placement and allocation system for apprentices, and then to fix it, and to identify any opportunities for improvement. I have also heard anecdotally from engagement with employers who are taking on many apprentices that there can sometimes be a degree of arbitrariness in the system. Even though there is supposed to be a design and methodology in place, it appears that does not always manifest. This is something I have asked SOLAS to look at and take on.
It is worth noting that apprenticeships are national programmes. As with every other post-secondary education route, it is not possible that every programme will be provided in every educational institution. An apprenticeship may be delivered through a particular local ETB but it is actually a national scheme. In our own county of Kildare, which myself and the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach share, farrier apprenticeships are available. They are not available anywhere else, as I understand it, and that is because there is a particular speciality and set of knowledge within Kildare. There are probably exceptions. If people are doing a farrier apprenticeship, Kildare is where they go to do it. There are other skills. Wind turbine maintenance is available on the coast in Tralee, for example. There are other skills that are particular to specific areas. There is also the situation where apprentices are given an offer of a placement and they can decline that if it does not work for them. They can say "No" and then the place will be allocated to the next person on the list to take up. They get up to three refusals.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I welcome that he has been in contact with SOLAS, as have we on the committee. In some cases, we were finding at the committee that someone in Donegal was going to Cork and someone from Cork going to Donegal, both doing the same apprenticeship. It just beggars belief how that happens so I welcome the fact that SOLAS will review, and also fix, this. During recent committees, we heard directly from apprentices about the challenges for their placements. The situation is affecting all ages of apprentices now within a wider age range as the demographic for apprentices has changed significantly, as the Minister knows. There are now more and more apprentices who have families to support and mortgages in one location. This means that their responsibilities at home would be severely impacted as they would need to leave for 12 weeks. It is not sustainable. I welcome the fact that the Minister is going to get SOLAS to look into this. It should stop this whole lottery basis and apprenticeships should be closer to home.
Again, I agree with the Deputy. Part of the situation is that when an apprentice is offered a place, they are offered the next available place. There is pressure on for good reason. I put that pressure on myself to get as many people trained as quickly as possible. I addressed some of the backlogs that had previously arisen during Covid, etc. As a place becomes available on a particular course, the student will be offered the next available place. That may not be close to home but they do have the option to refuse that place. They can do that up to three times without any consequence in terms of their allocation or their place in the queue. Sometimes, by doing that they can wait and get a place closer to home. Some apprentices come forward and say they are happy to travel because they want to get through their programme and out the far side and increase their earnings, etc., by doing so. Supports are available in particular circumstances as well, particularly for members of the Traveller community, young people from particularly disadvantaged groups and learners from other under-represented groups in further education. There are some targeted schemes and financial supports available to assist in particular circumstances.
The only issue there is that they have to accept a placement within seven working days of the notification date. If they start declining, there is a fear that they may not ever get placed on this. It is an absolutely hellish situation out there for student accommodation and there is the fear too that if they do not accept the place they may not get accommodation. This process should ensure fairness for all apprentices. The Minister has said that himself. Is it fair for apprentices, many of whom are paid below minimum wage and are already paying extra rent, to be forced into living in unregulated digs because of their placement? They also may not even find a place to live and instead have to make long commutes. Once again, let us hope SOLAS rectifies all this for them.
The Deputy will be aware that there are allowances available to the apprentices who have to travel. There are various different rates and different bandings depending on whether they are travelling 5, 10 or 20 miles, right up to 40 miles or more. There are different travel allowances available to apprentices to help them in meeting those travel costs. While the issue is a real one, and one which I have asked SOLAS to examine and tackle, there is an induction module for apprentices when they start. Depending on the particular apprenticeship, and I gave the example of the farriers located in Kildare but there are many across the country, it should be known by people entering that these are based in a particular limited location. Equally, some of the larger courses, like those for electricians, plumbers or wood manufacturing, are available more widely and in those cases it is reasonable to expect that a place closer to home would come available. I expect a certain degree on knowledge on the part of the apprentice. Certainly, that should be communicated during the induction stage. Even though there may be a seven-day window to accept or refuse the place, there should have been an awareness of what is likely to arise long before that stage.
200. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department is taking in relation to the reports that a €17 million business school at University College Cork has been permanently shelved; and for an update on the status of the matter. [67912/25]
View answerThe plans for a business school at UCC have been in development for the past three years, with reports that an architect firm had signed a contract of €3.5 million in 2022. From my understanding, the project was expected to cost over €100 million and was slated to start in 2024. This would have also included the provision to accommodate 4,000 students. The statement from UCC stated the college would provide an update on Cork university business school in the new year. Are we now in a situation where millions of euro of taxpayers' money is effectively down the drain? Will the Minister clarify what the situation is?
I hope the Deputy will agree that value for money is a key component of every State-sponsored project or use of State funds. UCC is an autonomous institution. It manages its own projects and capital and it is responsible for the oversight, planning and management of its capital development plan. The university has a review under way in light of increased construction inflation. The increase in construction costs and materials in recent years has been well ventilated and that has an impact on provision and delivery of various projects. On completion of that review which is currently under way, UCC will submit its capital plan to the governing authority in the coming months; I expect it in the new year. Provision of €25 million was made for the business school in 2019 under the higher education strategic infrastructure fund. Approval in principle was granted in 2019 and the total cost of the project at that time was estimated at €105 million, with a delivery of a 17,000 sq. m custom-built business school on a site on Union Quay being examined.
I understand that the university and the governing authority have full intention and full ambition to develop a world-class business school. They are committed to the project. It will advance. However, value for money is a key consideration. Space utilisation and optimisation in the preferred location must be a feature, as must student access and accessibility, synergy and the ability to leverage other parts of the existing campus. There are a number of considerations that are currently being examined in light of this review but I am assured that the ambition and intention remains to deliver a world-class business college of which the city and the college can be very proud. However, I do not expect that it will be the same proposal as has been previously presented.
It is no secret that universities are continuing to deal with chronic underfunding for the best part of 30 years and there does not seem to be any let-up on that front. This means many universities have a heavy reliance on international students, who pay costly fees towards the Irish university sector, and potentially this is a factor in this project not going ahead. According to the Irish Examiner, the UCC business school plan was reliant on the expected income to the business school coming from international students. The publication also recorded that during the first post-pandemic year of 2022, 52,000 student visas were authorised in the State. That increased to 60,901 last year. According to statistics provided to the Dáil in May, figures for this year are not in yet but the indications are that there has been a drop-off in the number of students, particularly Chinese students, coming here.
Why do our State-owned universities have to scramble for funding elsewhere? Is there not a need for funding contingency in these types of situations?
For clarity, I am not aware of any impact on this particular project as a result of any kind of funding withdrawal or shortfall. It is news to me if that is the case. It has not been raised with me by any of the college authorities or anybody else in the sector other than by way of the Deputy's suggestion today on the floor of the Dáil. As such, it is fair to say it is not a factor here. What is strongly a factor is delivering value for money. I hope the Deputy agrees with me that it is important State funding is used well, wisely and to deliver maximum benefits for the institute and for the student population it serves.
The ambition remains to develop a very high-end business school in the ambit of UCC. However, a wise reassessment is taking place of the overall project specifications, scope and cost envelope as part of the capital review plan. I am heartened that the college authorities are doing that. It is a wise approach to the use of State money and the ultimate outcome will be far stronger for it.
I welcome that there is still ambition for this project. However, ambition is not reality or actual work on the ground. Is the Minister aware of any timeframe for how long the review will take? What happens if we are left with an unfinished site? That site could accommodate 4,000 students. Meanwhile, students continue to struggle to afford extortionate rents in the private market. We are now in a situation wherein the university has paid out millions of euro on a development that is, in effect, abandoned for now, although the Minister says the ambition to progress it is still there. This should not be happening. Hard-working taxpayers have a right to know what has happened. Can the project be taken over by the Department to ensure the site is developed to house students if what is planned does not go ahead?
The Deputy will have to forgive me for saying I am not entirely sure what she is asking. On the one hand, she is calling for me to spend more money and, on the other, she is talking about being careful with taxpayers' money. I am a little confused as to what her ask is. Value for money is a key consideration. UCC is an autonomous body and a very well-run institution with an extremely competent chair, president and board. They have told me they intend to publish their renewed and revised plans early in the new year and we will then see the shape of the new business college. It certainly will be stronger for the process that has been gone through. Throwing good money after bad would not be wise. Proceeding with a project that, at a specification and cost level, may be far in excess of what is appropriate or necessary would not be a wise move. I am speaking hypothetically but I hope the Deputy agrees with me on that principle. I look forward to UCC publishing its revised plans for the business school in 2026. The university will have my full support for the next steps.
201. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to ensure universities have up-to-date and working equipment for the sciences. [66948/25]
View answerWhat plans are there to ensure universities have up-to-date and working equipment for the sciences? We discussed this issue following Science Week. I would like to know how universities can be fully funded to ensure they have the most up-to-date equipment. We need our researchers to be working with equipment that is fit for purpose and fit for the future, particularly in the sciences.
This is a timely question. On 26 November, I launched the new INSPIRE research infrastructure programme, which provides €750 million for capital investment in research infrastructure across the State and all our HEIs. It is a landmark moment for Ireland's national research and innovation system. As I am sure the Deputy has done, I have met with various stakeholders from the higher education system, including deans of research and presidents, and members of the research community, including PhD researchers and students, as well as industry representatives and employers, who ultimately will seek to take up the ideas that emerge from research and employ the skilled graduates who flow from the institutions.
INSPIRE will commence early in the new year. It has already been launched and the capital has been secured through the national development plan. It is a successor to the programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI, which ran in the first decade of the century and was pivotal in sowing the seeds for the very strong research and innovation ecosystem that was built upon it. It withered on the vine to an extent over the past decade or so, having not been renewed since 2010 or 2011. My party promised a new initiative in this area in our manifesto and it was included in the programme for Government. I was particularly pleased to deliver it in our first year in office.
Under the overall NDP capital envelope, there is some €4.55 billion for my Department, €2.45 billion of which is being allocated to research and innovation of different hues. The INSPIRE programme has a number of different layers, one of which is to refresh equipment, systems and facilities across the HEIs. That will give them the base layer of equipment they need to perform world-leading, excellent and impactful research. There is another layer for very large-ticket items that are particularly expensive and complex and which one institution may struggle to purchase and manage on its own. The intention is to have a shared infrastructure portal whereby larger items like supercomputers and wire banks can be purchased by one institution and made available to all that want to avail of it. We will have a national management system for that.
I am interested to see how that shared portal will work. I understand a lot of this equipment is incredibly expensive but, I assume, very important to have. I would like to hear more about how that will be managed.
Are we ensuring our PhD and postdoctoral researchers are being fully supported to be able to work in this area? I refer specifically to those who receive stipends and I am asking whether they are adequate.
There is a second element to my question. The Minister recently announced that the rent pressure zones, RPZs, will not apply to private student accommodation. I am very concerned that we will put all this equipment into universities but, at the same time, raise student accommodation prices twice in the next couple of years, out of line with what is happening in the rest of the country. I am concerned we will invest in this, which we should, but then we will not have he students or researchers coming in because student accommodation is unaffordable. I am delighted the Minister is able to put this amount of money into higher education but I am concerned that we will get all the equipment and then we may not have the students because accommodation is so expensive, particularly in urban areas.
I understand the points the Deputy raised. I will be addressing student accommodation in the response to a later question, so I will not duplicate that now. The framework on which the INSPIRE programme is built was developed in collaboration with the sector. In March of this year, I put together an expert working group made up of people from the Irish Universities Association, people with experience of the PRTLI programme and expert academics. We very much looked to the sector to see what it needed and to seek its inputs, suggestions and guidance as to what was missing and what needed to be taken into the next stage. I had some knowledge of that from previous engagements but I wanted to formally engage as part of the exercise to put the programme in place. INSPIRE is very much based upon that expert guidance and it has been very warmly welcomed by the sector. Many of the presidents have been in touch with me directly and many of them attended the recent launch. It is great to be in a position now to be able to do this.
Will the Minister explain how the sharing part will work? He said he will address student accommodation presently. I will have to step out of the Chamber but I will listen to what he says. All of these things are interlinked. When we are trying to make third level as accessible as possible, it is really important that all aspects are there to support learners but also the universities. It will put pressure on universities if all those aspects are not there. Is there a timeframe as to when the equipment will be in place? We are in the middle of an academic year and the stuff cannot be magicked out of nowhere. I am sure there are public procurement requirements and all of that. Will it be in place for the academic year of 2026-2027?
The programme will be delivered in two phases and will be managed by the Higher Education Authority in the first phase and by Research Ireland in the second. The first phase will establish a strategic baseline across the sector such that all investments are grounded in a systematic alignment with the particular university or HEI. It is a competitive fund and not a case of there being one for everyone in the audience. Funding will be awarded based upon excellence and impact, in alignment with the university. Universities are encouraged to put together their own proposals and they will be considered by an expert panel. That panel will be entirely independent and I will not have an involvement in it. The proposals will be peer-reviewed by expert academics who probably will be external to the country.
That is how it was done in PRTLI before and it is best practice internationally.
In terms of the shared infrastructure, the way it is envisaged to work is this. They are large items with a minimum €500,000 price tag; some may be multiples of that, depending on the item. Again, it would be a competitive call. All universities, effectively, would be invited in to put forward their proposals. There would be a competitive process that would then go into a central portal, which other universities can share it from.
202. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason there are no professors at technological universities (TUs); if his Department will review this; if not, the reasons not to include professors under the remit of TUs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67913/25]
View answerThis question is a bit outdated since the rescheduling of the Dáil last week. A recent OECD report on technological universities identified the exclusion of professorships at TU level as a huge shortcoming that should be urgently addressed. The report states the current TU system cannot fully achieve the expectations set out in the Technological Universities Act 2018. I welcome the announcement the Minister recently made that professors will be coming into TUs.
I thank the Deputy. It is something I am focused on and it is in the programme for Government. It is something I have been working on since I took on the position. I am committed to continuing the progress of the technological universities as key drivers of regional and national development. They have fantastic potential and are already realising it. I think I have visited all of them at this stage - multiple sites within some of them. They are a strong regional accelerator in terms of bringing excellence and university education to every corner of the country.
Last week, I announced a new targeted investment of €65.8 million for the technological university sector. That is the targeted enhancement fund, TEF. The projects will run over a 36-month period up to December 2028. That fund includes provision for the technological university professorships. The professor grades will be funded through that. There are some approvals required from other parts of the Government, primarily the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers. I am working closely with him to finalise the terms and conditions that will attach to those grades. I am confident of resolving this matter before year's end. We are nearly there now but I have been working on it intensely, particularly in recent weeks. That will be a significant milestone. It will give the technological universities the status they deserve and allow professors to be appointed within them, which is necessary for leadership of research projects, enterprise engagement and a status commensurate with their positioning. I am confident we have made significant progress on this in recent weeks. I hope to be able to announce that and get it brought to a conclusion, with agreement from the Government, before the year's end.
There is a huge issue with parity of esteem within further and higher education and that needed to be addressed. There should not be this distinction between our institutions and those wishing to pursue their education, whether at Trinity College or a TU. The development of technological universities has undoubtedly been a hugely impactful and positive change for higher education, boosting regions that otherwise would not have the opportunities for regional development. The absence of professorships has been a massive drawback in developing research capacity, crucial to these landmark TUs. Currently, legacy universities employ between 10% and 15% of their staff at professor level while the TUs have none. What percentage of staff will these new professors represent? Will their pay equal their counterparts' in legacy institutions?
For clarity, I will provide a short recap of the historical position. The original institutes of technology, IoTs, did not have professorial grades. They were amalgamated, largely, to form the technological universities we have now. Within the IoTs, the comparative grade was senior lecturer 3. The scales, grades, bands and job titles did not innately map onto the universities'. In some cases, the legacy job titles, conditions and work programmes did not map either. For example, they did not necessarily work over the summer. In a traditional university, a research professor would have a body of work over the summer months. In an IoT, a senior lecturer would typically finish up at the end of the academic term in May and not return until maybe late September. That is a significant difference. It is not just about giving them a new title, but about looking at their work output, the programmes they take on, enterprise engagement and the leadership role they play in the academic sector and that they are more than capable of playing, but it has to be reflected. That is part of this programme of transition as well.
The potential for massive increases in research and development if professors accounted for 5% of TU staff by 2030 is very significant. This would also increase postgraduate research student numbers and EU Horizon research funding, which could reach €80 million per year. The overall economic impact nationally would be in the region of €2.8 billion. Getting to 5% of TU staff by 2030 would be welcome.
Another important focus of the OECD report is on the comparison of various strands of benchmarked institutions with TU Dublin. The findings show greater levels of research activity and available financial resources at TU Dublin and Ireland's other TUs. A medium-term aspiration from the emerging TU sector is there when a much higher one could be available. The timelines are being closely monitored. I welcome the update the Minister has given us today on this.
They are being closely monitored, not least by me. I keep a programme for Government tracker to make sure we make our targets and, as far as possible, get ahead of target in delivering all the items I signed up to deliver at the start of this year. The OECD report is extremely useful in setting out academic career structures, contracts, senior management and leadership structures and the benefits they bring to an organisation, which are well documented and on which we are all in agreement.
In terms of the wider development of the technological universities, there have been a number of funding commitments and programmes rolled out in the past year. For example, €90 million over three years has been recently committed to in the transformation fund. The technological university advancement fund has a €50 million envelope over two years. The TU research and innovation supporting enterprise, TU RISE, research programme within the technological universities amounts to €83.68 million. The national technological university transformation for recovery and resilience, N-TUTORR, project has €40 million and there is the targeted enhancement fund, which allows things like project management systems, integrated accounting systems and student record systems to be better integrated across the TUs. They have taken a number of legacy campuses and pulled them together. Part of the funding is to bring them together in an holistic fashion.
203. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he is taking to address concerns relating to student accommodation and affordability; if he is aware that these concerns are driving regional disparities and increasing commuting burdens and costs for rural students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67669/25]
View answerMy question relates to the ongoing shortage of student accommodation across the country. Every year, the problem gets worse. In my constituency, I am contacted by huge numbers of students who cannot source accommodation in Galway, Dublin or Limerick. Unfortunately, the evidence available to us each September demonstrates that the situation is deteriorating rather than improving. What measures will be taken by the Government to tackle this problem?
I thank the Deputy. I am very aware of the high cost of student accommodation and the burden it places on students, especially those from rural or outlying areas, although it is not limited to them. In my own household, which is in an urban area, my daughter has commuted to UCD for the past couple of years and it was not a short commute, despite the fact we are not terribly far away from the college geographically. There is an additional financial burden on students who have to make that commute or cannot secure accommodation.
The student accommodation strategy 2025-2035 will set out Ireland's national policy to support access to appropriate housing and accommodation for students. Through the strategy, I am committed to expanding supports that directly address affordability pressures on students, especially for those who need it most. In budget 2026, for example, I secured an additional €10.5 million to increase all non-adjacent maintenance grants under the student grant scheme by at least €200 - in most cases by more. That means all grants for people who are non-adjacent, which means they live 30 km or more from the college, have increased, and in some cases significantly. That is to reflect the fact that those students have an additional financial burden because they are travelling or having to pay for rent or accommodation. Some 30,000 students can avail of that. The 30 km figure is down from 45 km, so that support is available to more students than ever before.
My Department also provides measures such as the 1916 bursary and the student assistance fund to students with particular socioeconomic difficulties. I was pleased to announce today that I was increasing the student assistance fund again for the coming year by over €10.2 million. It is a discretionary fund available through the welfare officers in the colleges to support students with a range of additional costs and expenses.
That will now stand at €19.3 million for this academic year, which is a record high. In fact, it even exceeds the amount awarded only last year. I am committed to continuing those supports, targeting supports at people who need them most, and making sure the cost of college is mitigated as far as it can be by support from the Department.
I thank the Minister for his response. While I certainly acknowledge that there have been some incentives, supports and improvements, the SUSI grant has unfortunately not been adjusted in line with the cost of living or the costs of student accommodation. We have seen over the past five years how rents in urban centres and many regional towns have risen at rates far exceeding inflation or wage growth.
In regard to the strategy, the delivery of purpose-built student accommodation has fallen substantially short of what is actually required, with only approximately 14,000 of the 21,000 beds targeted under the national student accommodation strategy having materialised by 2024. As a direct consequence, thousands of students now rely on temporary and often unsuitable arrangements such as staying in family homes, commuting long distances as the Minister acknowledged, or depending on the good will of relatives and friends. We really need to tackle this issue and be more ambitious in creating more student accommodation.
I wish to confirm and restate that the maintenance grants have increased significantly in some cases, particularly those on the non-adjacent rungs of the grant system. That is something that is very important to me and that I was very determined to be able to do. As well as that, there is additional support for students with disabilities and mental health challenges. The thresholds have increased to the highest ever level, to the extent that 80% of households are now eligible for at least some form of grant support. Of course, the student fee itself has been permanently discounted by €500 from the base figure I inherited at the start of this year. These are all positive steps.
The technological sector student accommodation programme is a particular accommodation package within the technological universities. Feasibility studies were performed over the past two years and the technological universities were invited to submit proposals, which they have done. The preliminary business cases will be examined in the new year to consider those projects and where they go next. I will come back in the next round.
I acknowledge that there have been some improvements but again, it is just not enough. We need to be, as I said, far more ambitious and deliver more student accommodation. I want to point out that my concerns relate to the fact that when a young person from a rural background concludes that third level education is financially or logistically unfeasible, the loss extends far beyond the individual. Society is deprived of the nurses, engineers, teachers and researchers that we so badly need in Ireland. Therefore, I ask the Minister to address the following specific points in his response to me. What immediate supports or emergency measures is the Department implementing in this academic year for students who are currently sofa surfing or living in unaffordable private rentals? Will the Government now give serious consideration to the introduction of rent controls or caps specifically for purpose-built accommodation? Is the Minister prepared to commit to a ring-fenced, State-led programme of student bed construction? Will he bring forward, as a matter of urgency, an inflation-adjusted increase in the SUSI maintenance grant and a substantial reform and expansion of the rent a room relief scheme?
I am glad the Deputy mentioned the rent a room scheme because that is an important tax relief that is available. Householders can earn up to €14,000 per year tax free by renting rooms to students. It has also been extended to local authority tenants, and at the end of last month, over 5,200 rent a room student beds were on offer in higher education institutions across the country, so that is a very significant measure.
In regard to the stock that is on hand, the Deputy mentioned the level of delivery in her opening question. One issue that is of concern to me is that there are almost 15,000 student beds that have planning permission but have not actually moved to construction. We need to look at the reasons that might be the case. A lot of that comes from viability. I refer to things like the VAT reduction on new apartment building. We will look at the procurement supports that are there and measures we can use to stimulate. Where appropriate, there is funding in the system to make serviced sites available where colleges have sites. They can be encouraged to put them to use for student accommodation to try to get some of those 15,000 beds, and a lot more, unlocked and progressed.
