I thank the Acting Chairman for his remarks. I sincerely thank Senators for a very informed, stimulating and incisive session. We have had several sessions in this Chamber relating to further and higher education and they have all been very engaging. I think all present agree that we are not just entering a new era in higher education, but advancing purposefully through it. It is an era where we are trying to meet and balance the rightful demands and associated challenges arising from our regional populations for e…

I thank the Deputies for their constructive and valuable contributions. My plan, and that of the Minister, Deputy Harris, and my Department, is to work in collaboration with our stakeholders, Oireachtas colleagues and many others. I look forward to our continued engagement. Nobody has to be reminded that education is not just primary school followed by secondary school, followed by going to college. There are a number of paths in life. It is up to me and my Department, working with others, to provide the kind of ed…

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced by students and their families as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the importance of the student grant scheme and related supports such as the student assistance fund and the fund for students with disabilities. These supports have a fundamental role in assisting students and parents who are putting their children through further and higher education. I will outline in my reply the various supports avail…

I thank both Deputies. I recognise the validity of the case and the argument they are making. There is absolute merit it what they are saying. This is an issue I will flag to the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, his Department and the HSE. I am also cognisant of the point relating to what the IMO has stated on the record in respect of this matter. I note the point made by Deputy MacSharry regarding a targeted bursary for student nurses. I will certainly communicate with the Minister in that regard also…

I thank the Deputy for her question. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated education and training centre closures, the number of craft apprenticeship classes that could be run in 2020 was reduced. Some €12 million is being provided in 2021 to fund 2,000 apprenticeship places to mitigate the effect of lost provision in 2020 and the effect of smaller apprenticeship class sizes required by social distancing measures. The apprenticeship incentivisation scheme, which provides a grant of €3,000 to employers for…

I thank the Deputy. To answer her question, there is a single portal, www.apprenticeships.ie , which is quite all-encompassing and gives as much information as is readily available on the range of apprenticeships. The Minister and I have encouraged people at every opportunity to access it. On the question on what is being done to attract more young people to apprenticeships, the national promotional campaign Generation Apprenticeship has been under way since May 2017. It has been designed to influence parents, teac…

The Deputy may be aware that the process of preparing the new apprenticeship action plan 2021-25 is under way. It will consider all aspects of the current system, together with the relevant international research, to ensure the apprenticeship system is best placed to respond to the long-term economic needs and will be resilient and flexible enough to meet the short-term challenges. Fifty-eight responses were received in the initial public consultation process. The regional skills fora have provided feedback from lo…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his kind remarks. We have all heard today about the incredible amount of planning that has gone into supporting all elements of the broad education and training sector through this most difficult period and the work done on reopening schools and third level facilities. As Minister of State with responsibility for skills and further education, I wish to update the House and actions taken to support these sectors in responding to the Covid-19 crisis to date and in future. I will co…

I thank the Deputy for his question. My priority is to offer accessible and inclusive further and higher education and training for all. Supporting inclusion is one of the three key pillars around which the new further education and training, FET, strategy is built and the core vision of the national access plan for equity of access to higher education is to ensure that the student body in higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and socioeconomic mix of Ireland's population. A number of direct financi…

The Deputy is right. No student or anybody seeking education or further training should be excluded. Certainly what myself and the Minister, Deputy Harris, are working towards is providing more places right across the whole range of disciplines, apprenticeships and courses. I just want to point out to the Deputy that the youth guarantee is a commitment by all member states of the EU to ensure that all young people under the age of 25 are offered good quality employment, continued education, apprenticeship or traine…

I agree with the Deputy. The experience of people in the area I represent, which is predominantly rural but close to the urban setting of Limerick city, is similar. We have some larger towns and people in my constituency have experienced and articulated to me some of the challenges Deputy Gould outlined. The Youthreach programme is very important. Many of the people we speak of are younger people who have left school for various reasons. The programme is delivered in two ways, namely, through Youthreach centres and…

We have all heard today of the incredible amount of planning and work that has gone into supporting the various sectors in education through this most difficult period and the current work on reopening schools and third level institutions. As Minister of State with responsibility for skills and further education, I will update the House on actions taken to support those sectors respond to the Covid-19 crisis to date and into the future. First, I will cover the ongoing work to reopen education facilities generally. …

I am happy to address this question as part of my responsibilities at the Department with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science. The priority of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, the Minister with responsibility for higher education, Deputy Harris, and me is to offer accessible and inclusive further education and training and higher education for all. Student supports are in place throughout further and higher education to make the transition back to education as …

On the allocation of funding for the purchasing of technology, the education and training boards, ETBs, will allocate funding to participants in further education. Anybody who attends further education through the ETBs will be able to apply to the ETBs. The Higher Education Authority will be funding people who attend our third level institutions, such as universities. On the question of reopening, all the ETBs, institutes of technology and universities have confirmed to the Minister, Deputy Harris, that they have r…

I confirm they are available to students of further education who are attaining their further education through the ETBs.

I begin by congratulating the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on her election. I wish her well in that office. As she said in her few words yesterday, it is historic. She is the first woman in the history of this Parliament to hold the office of Leas-Cheann Comhairle. It is a fabulous achievement and I wish her well. We initiated this Bill yesterday in the Seanad, where a number of issues were raised by a range of speakers. I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate today. Several of the issues they raised were a…

I congratulate Senator Mark Daly on his election as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. I wish him the very best in the role. I am sure he will be up for the job and well able for it. I also congratulate all Senators elected to the Seanad. I look forward to working with them. I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to present the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2020 to the House. The primary purpose of the Bill is to establish the new Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation an…

I thank all of the Senators for their contributions. There is a great depth of knowledge and experience within Seanad Éireann. Some Senators have in-depth and hands-on experience of working in our education sector. That is a great asset in dealing with the great challenge facing the Minister, Deputy Harris, and myself in operating this new Department. The challenges Senators have articulated are well known and are not simple to resolve, as I believe we would all agree. Some have asked why the Department is being se…

This amendment to section 3A of the Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Act 1998 will provide an annual allowance to not more than three specified holders of the office of Minister of State who regularly attend meetings of the Government. As the House will be aware, the Government appointed three Ministers of State, otherwise known as super junior Ministers, who will regularly attend Government meetings. Current legislation provides for two speci…

There is not a whole pile more to say on the matter. Senator Kyne has summed it up. I respect everybody's views on the issue and the points have all been very well made. Obviously, we have a difference of opinion and it looks likely that the House will divide on it. From the Government's point of view, we will press the amendment.