Further and Higher Education
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-12
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Tony McCormack (FF), Offaly

I welcome the focus on aligning higher education with current and projected skills shortages. Like the Minister said, it is about meeting with the industries to figure out what requirements are needed but also to find out and make sure that the courses we are providing at the moment are giving the students the proper skills when they actually finish those courses.
It is clear that artificial intelligence is now fundamentally changing the nature of work and the skills that will be required in the years ahead. Across every sector, whether it is healthcare, manufacturing, finance, education, agriculture or retail, AI and digital technologies are rapidly reshaping how businesses operate. Our education system must be agile enough to respond to the challenge and there is now a growing need not only for specialist AI and technology graduates, but also for broader digital literacy and adaptability across the workforce. At the same time as we embrace these new technologies, we also have to ensure we do not lose the core knowledge and fundamental skills on which industry will depend.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-12