I welcome the Minister of State's comments. Demographics need to be central to planning because planning without looking at the situation on the ground is not good planning. There is an elderly demographic and there is a pharmacy and butcher shop beside the bus stop, which also allows elderly people from neighbouring estates to come in to pick up a prescription or whatever. It is really important to the community. I cannot over-emphasise that. An Teachta Ó Cuív made a very good point about ensuring service to estat…

As the Minister mentioned, there are currently about 67 apprenticeship programmes available throughout the State and the intention is to increase that further. I recognise progress has been made in recent years in expanding the range and typologies of apprenticeships on offer. That is welcome. My mother is from Germany and sometimes it sounds a bit clichéd when we reference the German apprenticeship model and other models, but that is only because it is something of a truism. Why would we not want to look towards t…

I believe it was said in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". I wonder, were William Shakespeare a student studying in Irish university today, would he say that student fees by any other name still stink? That is what we have. There is a situation whereby post-crash student fees were branded as a charge. A solution which tries to rebrand the problem does not actually solve anything. It just tries to define it away. The reason I remember this is because I was in colleg…

I commend Deputy Paul Murphy and People Before Profit on bringing forward this Bill. It has always struck me as completely and utterly unfair that young workers, those under the age of 20, have a lower rate of the minimum wage. A 19-year-old, for example, will earn just 90% of the minimum wage. An 18-year-old will only earn 80% of the minimum wage and a 17-year-old will receive just 70% of the minimum wage, which works out as €7.91 per hour. How has this situation been allowed to persist for as long as it has? On a…

Bhí an ceart ar fad ag mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Daly, nuair a dúirt sé go bhfuil chuile cheantar tuaithe difriúil. I mo dháilcheantar féin, is é ceann de na ceantair is iargúlta ann ná ceantar Gaeltachta. Tugaim rud amháin faoi deara sa Seomra nuair a labhraím i nGaeilge go minic, is é sin, go mbíonn orm é a rá arís i mBéarla. Is ceantar iargúlta é seo i mo Dháilcheantar agus áit a labhraíonn formhór na ndaoine Gaeilge agus a mbíonn daoine ag obair trí Ghaeilge agus ag caitheamh a saol trí Ghaeilge. Caithfimid …

This relates to the subcommittee. I understand that a question has already been asked about it but I ask the Minister to detail that initially.

Tá cúpla ceist agam i dtéarmaí cén bhealach a n-oibreoidh sé go díreach. Cén uair a bheas an fochoiste ag casadh ar a chéile? Sin í an chéad cheist. Cén bhealach a n-oibreoidh sé leis na hionadaithe ó na hoileáin? An mbeidh toghchán ann nó an mbeidh daoine ainmnithe? Cé mhéad ionadaithe ó na hoileáin a bheas i gceist? Táim sásta go bhfuil an tAire ag rá go mbeidh ionadaithe ó na hoileáin éagsúla ionas go mbeadh na tuairimí sin á gcur in iúl. I have a few questions on the monitoring committee. I welcome it and think…

Tá cúpla rud maith ansin. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh ionadaithe ón bpobal agus ó na hoileáin air mar tuigeann siad cén bhealach atá sé a bheith i do chónaí ar oileán chuile lá beo. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil easpa infreastruchtúir cuí ar na hoileáin, ach go háirithe na céibheanna, agus tá mé ag smaoineamh ar chéibh Inis Meáin. Scríobh mé chuig an Aire faoi chasadh leis an ngrúpa atá ag feachtasaíocht i gcomhair chéibh Inis Meáin. Luaim céibh Inis Oírr chomh maith. Tá an t-airgead ann agus caithimid a chinnti…

We are all aware of the serious housing crisis in the State at the moment. We know also how this impacts on students and their ability to attend third level institutions across the State. I recall years ago in Galway when students simply had to line up outside the offices of the Galway Advertiser on a Thursday waiting for the notices, but that is not the case anymore. Many students are finding it difficult to find accommodation. Will the Minister outline his plans in this regard?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. We are aware that the whole accommodation situation at the moment is a complete and utter disaster. Unfortunately, that is also the case for students. I commend the UCD students' union on the survey it did over a two-year period, which was published a fortnight ago. It contained very interesting findings but they were also very difficult findings. It shows that for a lot of people who may have had access to third level education who previously had been locked out, are now being locked…

That is actually a very interesting piece of information and I thank the Minister. On digs accommodation, it is very welcome that the scheme has been broadened, especially as I consider the likes of University of Galway and the Atlantic Technological University, ATU. The changing of the eligibility requirements to avail of using the rent-a-room scheme is very welcome, especially in and around the ATU, which is in the area where I live. The issue is digs accommodation. Of course, they are not the ideal. When people …

This question in some senses leads on from the previous discussion that we had earlier on student accommodation and housing. We are all aware that as a result of the financial crash way fewer apprentices were coming through the system. We are also aware of the backlog as a result of Covid. Could the Minister outline the plans he has to increase the throughput of apprentices?

That is quite interesting. I think we are all aware of the important role that people who are going through apprenticeships will play and are playing in the future of our society, especially when tackling the infrastructural deficit we have, and the acute housing shortage. It is very important that we get the message out about how positive these jobs are and the availability of them. What does the Minister think is the biggest barrier to us increasing the throughput of apprenticeships and dealing with the backlog? …

I thank the Minister. That is interesting. I will do a bit more research on the financial support of apprentices. On the capacity issue, I have spoken to as many people as possible since taking on this role. From what I understand, some capacity is not being used. Perhaps the Minister could investigate that. Sometimes it is necessary to pop into the centres and seeing for oneself whether capacity is available. People tell me capacity is available and is not being used. It is definitely worth looking at. The Ministe…

I studied in what is now the University of Galway. When I was studying, there were options for taking courses through the medium of Irish. One I availed of was French. This allowed me to study French through Irish. The Minister stated that there were 106 courses. Is he looking to expand that number? Given the objective of trying to deliver public services to people who want to speak through the medium of Irish, are there specific types of course that need to be expanded?

I thank my namesake for raising this important question. It boils down to the issue of access to education and the barriers to same, including financial ones. We are now aware that the student accommodation crisis is acting as a another barrier. When I was involved in college politics, fees were a hot topic - they still are - in terms of being a barrier to accessing education. The Minister referred to a €500 grant for those earning less than €100,000. We will have to wait and see what decision is made on fees in th…

My question relates to the new research and innovation Bill. I am aware that the Minister met with a wide range of academics on this topic. He will have heard their concerns, which they have also raised with me, that they feel no official public consultation took place in respect of the Bill. Will the Minister respond to that particular issue? Will he allow people with concerns to voice them?

I welcome what the Minister has said about the forum. Will the Minister provide a little detail as to how many people can participate? I am aware that the Minister has met stakeholders and is, of course, aware of some of the concerns that have been raised around the need for the Bill to set out that there will be parity of esteem between disciplines. That is completely understandable. The Bill will be merging SFI and the IRC. The former is obviously significantly larger than the latter and attracts considerably mor…

I wish to raise another issue. This is something with which I am sure the Minister will agree and relates to the statutory body that is going to be established under the Bill, namely, research and innovation Ireland. The Minister is probably aware that section 4 of Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2021 amends the Official Languages Act 2003 to the effect that the names and logos of newly established statutory bodies shall be in the Irish language. That is easily amended and should be amended. In Irish, the new…

We can lead from the front.