I am grateful for the opportunity to address the House and present the Research and Innovation Bill 2024 here today. As Members are aware, this Bill is vital legislation which will provide for the establishment of a new research and innovation agency, Taighde Éireann. The purpose of this Bill is to create an agency with the capacity to address the very real issues society faces, in particular climate change and the digital transition, and to enable us to better engage and compete internationally in terms of the hug…

I would once again like to thank the Senators for their engagement here today, for their careful consideration and for the work they have undertaken throughout the process of developing the legislation and bringing this Bill towards enactment. We have great ambitions for Taighde Éireann. This Bill is the foundation of a new agency that will be built upon. I value this process, which ensures that the legislation is as robust and fit for purpose as it can possibly be. I would like to address some of the comments made…

I thank the Deputy for her question. We have a singular focus on securing sustained reductions in waiting times for apprenticeship training. There has been a significant reduction in the number of apprentices waiting longer than six months for their off-the-job training. The backlog stood at 3,817 in January 2024. It was as high as 5,212 in in August 2023. The progress achieved results from a cross-sectoral plan put in place by the National Apprenticeship Office for 2024. It is essential that this progress is maint…

It is important to bear in mind that normal waiting times for off-the-job training range from three to six months. That needs to be factored in. At the end of January, there were 8,967 apprentices waiting for training. That included a figure of 3,817 who had waited more than six months. The numbers waiting have significantly reduced from a peak of almost 12,000 apprentices in August 2021. The Deputy mentioned the craft backlog. In the summer of 2023, some data analysis showed a significant increase in the backlog. …

We do not feel that is an issue. It has not been flagged to me, but we will look at it based on what the Deputy has said here today. As the Deputy knows, the national development plan, Housing for All and our climate action responsibilities and targets are a huge focus for all of us. We put significant resources into building our capacity to address the backlog which, as we know, was all down to Covid. We are not using that as an excuse, but we have to call it as it is. We are making significant inroads. We are car…

I thank the Deputy for his question. The action plan for apprenticeships, which runs from 2021 to 2025 promotes access, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeships by offering targeted supports to encourage participation from under-represented groups such as the Traveller community. One of the plan's main objectives is apprenticeship for all to ensure that the apprenticeship population better represents the national population. To advance this the National Apprenticeship Alliance established an access and inclusion …

The Traveller apprenticeship incentive programme is funded under the Dormant Accounts Fund scheme. The programme is aimed at increasing the uptake of and retention of apprenticeships. The programme is structured across three streams: a €3,000 bursary for each 20 Travellers who are employed as new apprentices; a €2,000 incentive payment to each of their employers; and each of the streams 1,2 and 3 have similar funding. The employers who hire a Traveller apprentice are also eligible for the €2,000 employer grant. Det…

We will get the Deputy all of what he has looked for after this session. There were 113 applicants, 86 of whom were male and 17 were female. A total of 70 of the applicants had completed their junior certificate and 40% of the applicants had their leaving certificate completed. In terms of the apprenticeship types, approximately 21 were in construction, 16 in electrical, two in engineering and two in motoring. We will get the Deputy the entire range of data he requested.

I thank Deputy Stanton. One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeships, apprenticeships for all, is to ensure the profile of the apprenticeship population better reflects our general population. The plan promotes access, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeships and offers targeted supports to participants from underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. The National Apprenticeship Alliance established an access and inclusion subcommittee in early 2023 and has set sp…

I do not have the figure to hand right now but we will get back to the Deputy.

He described you as populist.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As Deputies will be aware, Ireland has welcomed more than 103,000 arrivals from Ukraine, with 76,000 people currently living in State accommodation and 58,000 of those in fully serviced accommodation. The Deputy will also be aware that the number of international protection applicants continues to grow. He clearly pointed out the difference in the supports between those who arrived in Ireland under the temporary protection directive and applicants for international protect…

I will make the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the relevant Ministers aware of the Deputy's input. He will also be aware that changes were made in December last year that will come into effect in March of this year in terms of beneficiaries of temporary protection. Ireland is, and always has been, a welcoming place. The Irish people are fundamentally aware of, and support, the provision of shelter for those seeking refuge in the State. Ireland, together with its fellow EU member states, has responded by activating the…

I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on the matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially and, as such, day-to-day operational matters, including decisions on the size, distribution and future of the network, are matters for the board and the management of the company, and not ones in which the Minister has a statutory function. However, both the Minister and the Minister of State…

I have listened with interest to the points the Deputy raised. As indicated earlier, decisions relating to post offices are operational matters for An Post and are not matters for the Minister or where the Minister has a statutory function. An Post, as he will know, plays an important role in serving the needs of business and domestic customers alike. This is at the forefront of An Post’s mandate. The Minister and the Minister of State, with departmental officials, will reflect the concerns that have been outlined …

The Minister would like to thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for allowing me to have the opportunity to outline the position regarding the water treatment issues in Dunmanway on his behalf. As the Deputy will understand, the supply of public water and the provision of water services in general are matters for Uisce Éireann in the first instance. However, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has made inquiries with Uisce Éireann on the issues that have been mentioned. I am informed that…

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this matter. The Deputy will understand that the progression of wastewater infrastructure at local level is a matter for Uisce Éireann. As I previously stated, however, Uisce Éireann is aware of the difficulty with wastewater treatment in Dunmanway and is currently reviewing the situation with the intention of providing a solution. This review is in the very early stages and Uisce Éireann is looking at a number of options for the current wastewater network. The upgrade to the w…

I thank the Deputy for tabling this Topical Issue. Social housing support is provided to those who are most in need. The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources and ensuring constrained resources are available to those who need them most. Housing for All was published in September 2021 and committed to reviewing income eligibili…

Supply, which is key to addressing our housing needs, is increasing. The Government's Housing for All plan is having a real impact. More homes are being built and bought than in a generation, providing people with housing options they did not have when the plan was published two years ago. While Government has already introduced an increase of €5,000 in the baseline social housing income thresholds for all local authorities since January 2023, detailed research was required to develop options for a revised new soci…

I will find out and let the Deputy know.