I am glad the Deputy raised this programme because it is extremely important. It has served us and our students and educational institutions well. I was in Europe on Tuesday at the Competitiveness Council. I attended the research and innovation meetings. I will be back in the near future attending the education Council at which Erasmus will be on the agenda. My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, recently attended a meeting of a similar nature, in Copenhagen I think, where some of these discussions too…

I will take Deputy Burke's question first and then come back to Deputy Timmins. Regarding the Northern Ireland dimension, I am glad the Deputy raised this important point. Unfortunately, with the UK leaving the European Union, Northern Ireland is not eligible for Erasmus programmes. However, the Government supports Northern Ireland students to allow them to continue to participate. Northern Ireland students are funded by the Republic to partake in Erasmus. We have done that repeatedly in recent years to ensure stud…

The Deputy is absolutely right and I completely agree. The point is well made, particularly now, when we have the shadow of war on the Continent and tensions internationally. Perhaps, we do not have the same community of nations that we might traditionally have enjoyed. It is all the more important, therefore, that we better understand each other, communicate and exchange with one another, and have shared experiences, including the pan-European experience Erasmus can afford. The shape of the new programme proposes …

I was delighted to recently announce this partnership and my support for it. I brought the proposal to the Government to receive all-of-government support and endorsement for it. It is a very exciting and historic proposal. This will be the first all-island university, which speaks to many of our aspirations about our shared island and all-island dimensions. It is a programme that will enhance both DkIT and Queen's University. The partnership will include an integration of DkIT within the academic framework of Quee…

I thank the Deputy for that. Discussions are ongoing and intensifying between the two institutions. My Department and I remain in close contact with both institutions. From the early stages, I indicated my full and strong support and shared ambition to develop and progress this partnership. My understanding is the institutions intend to sign heads of agreement this month. This is happening now; it is not an abstract, down-the-road initiative. I am particularly pleased and supportive of this. I communicated to the c…

As I have said previously, the Deputy and I share those aspirations in every sense. The Deputy mentioned the mechanics of how we develop the working patterns between Dundalk IT and Queen's University, and referred more broadly to apprenticeships on the island. On apprenticeships more broadly, I launched the first-ever all-island apprenticeship, namely, the accounting technician programme, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. We recently worked with the Minister for the Economy, Caoimhe Archibald MLA, in…

Under budget 2025, additional funding was announced for Research Ireland in order to increase its PhD stipend level to €25,000, representing an increase of 31% in just two years. This announcement builds upon my Department's consistent focus and progression on this issue. That came into effect from 1 January this year and, given the significant growth in such a short space of time, I have no immediate plans to increase the figure further. The €25,000 was the ask very recently. It was a significant increase on what …

One of the first things I changed was the equipment and infrastructure available to them. Just last month, I launched the new Inspire programme. This is a €750 million capital envelope to support research infrastructure and equipment across our higher education institutions. That was a very clear ask of me by the research community and it had long been sought. Coming into the role, it was something I was determined to address as soon as possible, and I was able to secure funding through the national development pla…

I fully support the research and development tax credit of 35%. In fact, I engaged with the then Minister, Paschal Donohoe, to seek it. I think it is really impactful for the research and innovation and advanced knowledge industries. That ultimately is what creates the resources, jobs and enterprise and, indeed, creates the tax intake that allows us to deliver the public good in other ways. Many of our PhD students may well aspire to work for those same institutions when they complete their education, and many of t…

I am familiar with the issue. The Deputy has engaged with me on it on a number of occasions. He and I met a group of personal assistants during the summer. Supporting learners with disabilities is a core priority for my Department. In the budget just gone I was pleased to be able to invest a further €3 million in support for the fund for students with disabilities as well as an additional €1 million for students with mental health challenges. That was along with many other targeted interventions to help address the…

A couple of items arise there. I know personal assistance for students with disabilities is an area of interest the Deputy has raised here a number of times. National policy on personal assistance is being reviewed by the HSE-led personal assistance review group. My Department is not leading that particular aspect of the review. We are very much engaged with it and remain committed to ensuring that students with disabilities can have full access and participation in further and higher education. It is separate from…

I will pick up on the WRC claim because the Deputy mentioned that as an item of interest. I think the Deputy is well familiar with it, but the position is that ETBs employ staff in some cases to deliver PA services, and the contractual relationship is between the employee and the ETB.

Personal assistants are employed usually under fixed-term contracts and, therefore, do not get paid outside of term time, nor do the public servants under section 19 of the ETB Act. In early 2024 my officials embarked on a review of the hourly rate of pay of personal assistants employed by ETBs. That followed discussions between a representative group of personal assistants and one of my predecessors. I think the Deputy may have been involved in that at the time.

Subsequent to that, ministerial approval issued to SOLAS to increase the hourly rate of pay by 42%, which is very positive and I am sure was very welcome, bringing the rate up from nearly €15 per hour to €21 per hour, with 8% holiday pay included as well. I know there are other claims before the WRC subsequent to that, but I think it is fair to say that significant progress has been made, notwithstanding those other claims. I do not want to get into commentary on claims that remain before the WRC.

I thank the Deputy for her engagement on the Bill, including on Committee Stage. I understand the intent or rationale behind the amendment. However, I do not propose to accept it and I will give the reasons. There are two parts to the amendment. I will take each one separately. The first part of the amendment, which provides for "these payments to only relate to training and upskilling and not for any other purpose", is surplus to requirements. I sought legal advice on the drafting of the Bill. We considered carefu…

We are all learners.

I thank the Deputy. She has eloquently outlined part of the rationale of this. She has spoken about the experience not just of the learners but also of the teachers. I agree that it is unfair to have them in draughty old buildings when we could take the opportunity to retrofit, refurbish and upgrade them and provide a state-of-the-art new facility by doing so. We are of like mind in that regard. I do not think Deputy McGettigan's amendment is appropriate. I suggest that tying our hands in such a way and precluding …

A €1.5 billion retrofitting programme would create a lot of employment for apprentices. It would be quite extraordinary if we were to spend the entire NTF surplus on retrofitting. It is probably unlikely to happen. In any event, the provisions in the existing legislation set out clearly that it can only be used for particular well-defined purposes which have stood the test of time for 25 years. I do not propose to change that in any regard. It remains absolutely true to the original mission of the Act. I welcome th…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta for the amendment. I thank him for his engagement on this matter on Committee Stage and again today. I fully understand the intention behind the amendment. If accepted, the amendment would impose a procurement condition on contractors to provide apprenticeships or training opportunities for NTF-funded works related to the acquisition of land, premises, furniture or equipment and the upgrade, construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, etc., of premises. I am unable to accept …

I think we are all in violent agreement that we need more apprentices. It is a programme for Government commitment I am working towards. The exact intention of this legislation is to give effect to it. We are opening up a €1.5 billion fund we can use for exactly the kind of things Deputy Gould spoke so passionately about. Cork Education and Training Board has many proposals for training centres it can develop which will host apprentices. It has my support regarding those initiatives. These are the kinds of things w…