We have been engaging intensively with European partners on the future of Erasmus+. My officials are working closely at the technical level and I am working at the ministerial and political level to advance negotiations on this important programme. Good progress has been made under both the Danish and Cypriot Presidencies. As the Deputy knows, the Cypriot Presidency comes to a close at the end of June. I was in Brussels yesterday at the Education Council. I am pleased to advise the Deputy and the House that we reac…

It would be regrettable if that scenario were to come to pass. I understand the concern and it is well voiced. We are at the partial general agreement, meaning that specific parts of the proposal have been agreed. Ultimately the budget has yet to be agreed and that is what we have to negotiate with our colleagues in the European Parliament as we move on to the tripartite stage. I will be meeting some of the relevant committee chairs in the European Parliament and some of the members of those committees. I will enga…

I very much take the Deputy's points on board. He is right about the contribution to the economy that arises from having the student inflow here as well as the visiting families and so forth. When I was growing up, my own house was home to many visiting students of many nationalities on different courses. It also provides for a richer rounder experience for the host families and the students. Earlier we were talking about the age of AI, digital skills, skills gaps and some of the automated tasks being carried out n…

Well done to all the winners and commiserations to all who did not make it over the line. The ongoing success of Offaly hurling is to be celebrated in Offaly but perhaps to be feared in other counties in Leinster. We will wish the Deputy well for now, but we will see where it goes. Before I speak about Kildalton College, I compliment the team in Mount Bellew Agricultural College in County Galway, which I visited with Deputy Albert Dolan and Senator Anne Rabbitte recently. It is also hosting the veterinary course in…

Absolutely. I look forward to visiting Kildalton, and I am going to arrange to see it myself shortly. This has that best practice combination of academic theory in the college institutions and hands-on farm experience on the practical college farm at Kildalton. I visited the UCD Lyons Farm just outside Celbridge in my constituency a number of times to see the wonderful work it does. This is an essential part of it. What is welcome in these courses is that while the students will, of course, have the same veterinary…

I thank the Deputy. I agree with him about all the benefits that will flow to the regional areas from this. The expansion is being funded through the veterinary places activation programme. That wider programme is backed by €155 million, with €80 million specifically ring-fenced for veterinary education. It is a very important programme. I set a target across government to increase the number of healthcare places, and professional places overall in order to reduce the points pressure on the high points courses like…

I am aware of the Deputy's interest in STEM, drug discovery, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and all those related matters. They are also a key priority for me, as is support for STEM overall, as well as being a key strategic priority for the Government, given its increasing criticality to economic growth, to resilience, future skills needs and regional development. I know the Deputy is very close to that in Cork with a number of significant employers in this space. In relation to Cork particularly, the provision of…

I thank the Deputy. I would welcome his input, with his strong local knowledge and policy knowledge of the area, for STEM provision in Cork in particular. If he thinks there are particular gaps that we need to fill or areas we need to work on or address, I would welcome that engagement. One of the policy initiatives I am pursuing is a widening of our doctoral programmes because many STEM workers ultimately come through PhD programmes. Many of those go on to work in industry. I think up to 90% of them do. The earnin…

That is important to hear. I have set up what I call a skills roundtable series of events where I am engaging with sectoral employers. The first event took place about six weeks ago in Grangegorman with a range of employers. I am hosting a construction skills event with the Minister, Deputy Harkin, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, later this month to hear from different construction employers such as the Construction Industry Federation, etc. I will be talking to AI and professional services employers before the su…

I thank an Teachta Moynihan. The pace and scale at which AI and technology in general is changing, adapting and transforming continues to astound us all, so it is all the more important that we try to stay ahead of it and that we drive our national AI skills agenda forward. It is one thing I am very conscious of right across education, research and innovation. As a productivity tool, so many businesses and users are adopting AI now in different ways. In my view, it is positive when properly harnessed and it is welc…

Absolutely. That is very much the intention. It is, as the Deputy rightly said, currently pitched as an entry-level offering to raise the level of awareness among the general public and to broach that AI literacy or AI familiarity challenge in order that non-technical users can become more au fait with the technology, that it is demystified, as the Deputy said, and that they can get ready for it. That is the goal of the first round. It is very much the intention to continue to build on that platform, to host increa…

Again, the Deputy made strong points, and I fully agree. The intention is to continue to expand the portal. In addition, I have asked my Department to develop what we are calling a roadmap for technology and future skills and a statement of ambition, which will set out where we want this to go. There are all the things the Deputy has just described. In addition to the initial range of courses offered, the National Skills Council comprises a group of people, cross-sector, who are engaging with my Department and me t…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, or in the Order of the Dáil of 15th April, 2026, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer following those set down to the Minister for Defence, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Minister for Agriculture,…

Is é sin an chéad cheist inniu toisc go bhfuil a lán daoine as láthair. In any event, aithníonn mo Roinn an ról tábhachtach atá ag an earnáil oideachais tríú leibhéal i dtaca le sprioc an Rialtais a bhaint amach, is é sin go mbeidh 20% d'earcaigh san earnáil phoiblí inniúil sa Ghaeilge faoi 2030. Le hAcht an Údaráis um Ard-Oideachas, 2022 cuirtear oibleagáid reachtúil ar an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas tacú le hinstitiúidí ardoideachais chun an Ghaeilge a mhúineadh, a chur chun cinn agus a úsáid. Chun na críche sin, tac…

Is minic a fhaighim an cheist ar cé mhéad mac léinn san ardoideachas a dhéanann staidéar ar an nGaeilge. Ní rud simplí é líon na mac léinn atá ag déanamh staidéir ar an nGaeilge sa tríú leibhéal a oibriú amach ós rud é go gcuirfear an Ghaeilge ar fáil mar ghné riachtanach i gcuid mhór clár, lena n-áirítear formhór na gclár comhchéime onóracha BA. Léiríonn anailís a rinne an tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas le déanaí go raibh 420 mac léinn ag déanamh cúrsaí go hiomlán trí Ghaeilge sa bhliain acadúil 2023/2024 agus 2,625 eil…

Níor luaigh mé leis an Teachta Dála gur fhoghlaim mé mo chuid Gaeilge sa King’s Inns at the time. Tuigim an pointe sin. Tá an Roinn ag tacú le húsáid na Gaeilge ag an tríú leibhéal trí mhaoiniú a leithdháileadh ar institiúidí tríú leibhéal. Dáileadh €1.6 billiún ar institiúidí tríú leibhéal tríd an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas mar bhloc deontais chun tacú le soláthar oideachais tríú leibhéal lena n-áirítear soláthar don Ghaeilge. Arís, dáiltear €900,000 gach bliain tríd an soláthar speisialta chun tacú le húsáid na Gaei…

The activation of supply of student beds is of the utmost priority to me, my Department, the Government as a whole, to Deputy Kenny and I am sure to all in this House who take in an interest in the matter. Since 2017, we have seen 16,266 purpose-built student accommodation beds completed nationwide, which brings the total stock to just under 50,000 around the country. At the end of March 2026, commencement notices issued in respect of 2,735 student beds, with a further 14,233 having planning permission but not yet …

I have just one point, and I know the Deputy has engaged in good faith, as he always does. I have to correct one statement he made, and perhaps it is just not widely known. Landlords actually cannot reset rents between tenancies and that is a very deliberate thing I inserted to the legislation following engagement with my colleague the Minister, Deputy Browne. In terms of regulation, overall, student tenancies are subject to the same base rules as any other residential property in the State or any other rental, wit…

I understand that the Deputy's question has a pertinence to students because they are living in the private residential sector but I do not want to trespass onto the brief of my colleague the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, in terms of the rules governing that. While I cannot quite mandate it, I have strongly encouraged, and used any powers available to me, to suggest and request that where universities are advertising properties on their student portals or websites they should only do so where they have met b…

I must first send best wishes to the Deputy's colleague, Teachta McGettigan. I understand she has not been well this week and normally she would be a key part of this debate. She is a very valued contributor to the education conversation. I just wanted to send our best wishes. I know she was taken unwell this week. On the Deputy's question, he will be aware, and as all in Dundalk know at this stage, that committed to developing the North-South collaboration in student mobility but particularly in driving on the par…