James Lawless
Kildare North · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I am always open to feedback. The academics and authors of that report are entitled to their views, as are others. I just do not share all of their conclusions. As the Deputy said, the consultant spending was before my time. A lot of it was before the Department even existed.”
“More broadly, and this is something I think there is great potential to do more on, we are also promoting modern methods of construction, MMC, so we can embrace 2D or 3D models where they are either partially assembled off site and then brought to the location or almost fully assembled and the finished kit is brought into place.”
“In the energy space, that includes a commitment of €10 billion to enhance the grid capacity, because we need to be able to transit the energy as well as generate it, the workforce and the talent to do that - everything from retrofitting to green energy technicians and renewable energy engineers.”
“The capital funding envelop available to me is the mechanism through which I fund these projects, which is significant with €4.55 billion allocated across my Department for capital projects. SETU is the relevant institute in the south east, and it has multiple campuses, including a presence in the Xcelerate Centre at St.”
“I will recap on some of the measures I have introduced already because it is important to put them on the record again. In the previous budget, I was pleased to introduce the first ever permeant fee cut for students since free fees were introduced almost 30 years ago with a €500 permanent reduction.”
“Exactly. That is why we have a record €4.5 billion commitment across the sector. Regarding student facilities, there is the likes of the bundle 2 PPP programme which enhances student facilities on university campuses across the country.”
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“I have given a direction that no apprenticeship classes should be cancelled in any ETB in the country and I understand the ETBs are working through that locally. I will continue to engage with Deputy O'Sullivan and with other Deputies interested in the matter.”
“I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to address this important matter. He is correct that some of this dates back to commitments that were given last year. I am working through the issues. There was an issue with backlogs that arose over the last two years which are now working their way through the system. Apprentices who should have been out through the system and qualified are now at phases 4 and 6. The upshot of that is that more people are coming through, which is a good thing, but because of previous delays, they are being paid at the higher rates, as befits their status, and a funding shortfall has arisen as a result. I am meeting the board of SOLAS next week. I have also met a number of ETBs on this. I have engaged with Deputy O'Sullivan's local ETB on it.”
“The budgetary process is under way. I am fighting within the resources available for students and their families for the best possible outcome across the board in all of the measures the Minister, Deputy Chambers, outlined, including SUSI grants, fee thresholds and the student contribution fee, along with the cost of accommodation-----”
“I am intent that it will be resolved, but we are a little away from determining the mechanics and outworkings of that just yet. I ask the Deputies to give me a little time to work that through, and perhaps I will update them in due course.”
“They have that ongoing engagement and will continue to work together. They are fully supported by officials from my Department to get to the bottom of this issue in terms of unlocking the resource challenge and moving things forward. The Government, the Department and I am committed to the overall system and to reaching the targets. In the programme for Government, there is a target of having 12,500 apprentice registrations per annum by 2030 and ensuring the successful retention and progression of apprenticeships. That remains a priority for me and the Government. We want to address the funding pressures. I might come back to the Deputies in due course with the roadmap. I am not in a position to provide it at the moment. However, I can reassure them that this is a very live issue and that it is being actively worked on.”
“I am not impressed with the situation either. I would prefer if we were not in this situation. Sometimes in politics, we have to play the hands that we are dealt. Sometimes we would prefer they were different but they are what they are and we have to make the best of them. My job as Minister is to manage the situations that arise. I have said no class will be cancelled. I did not say anything else. There is a reason for that. I am adamant that no class will be cancelled. I will not say anything beyond that, other than SOLAS is working with the ETBs on an ongoing basis to manage scheduling and how the classes are delivered and their timetables. That will correspond to the budgets they have available to them. That is an ongoing process between SOLAS, an independent agency, and the ETBs.”
“This includes a record €77 million investment as part of budget 2025, the largest ever allocation to the apprenticeship system in the history of the State.”
“It is important to acknowledge that there is an inherent complexity in managing a system that is demand-led with a finite funding envelope. Put simply, demand in a given quarter or year can rise or fall, and it can be difficult to accurately predict or model that and then to support and resource it. The Government has a very strong and sustained commitment to apprenticeships. I wish to make it clear today that no apprenticeship course or class will be cancelled as a result of the current situation. Since the formation of my Department, investment in apprenticeship training has increased by 139% from €142 million in 2019 to €339 million in 2025. There has been more than a doubling of funding.”
“Overall, there were 25,000 craft apprentices at the end of 2024, up from 16,000 in 2019. One of the Deputies mentioned the previous backlog in phase 2, which has largely been addressed, but it moves the demand curve up to phase 4. The ongoing pressures have, thankfully, moved through the system, but they are still within the system. The bump is moving along and it is now at the phase 4 stage, which brings its own pressures. The growth in the system is very welcome. It is also necessary, given the vital role apprentices play, largely in the construction sector, but also in delivering many other key Government priorities such as housing, retrofitting, infrastructure development, energy and in other areas such as telecoms, which are key to our national success.”
“I assure colleagues that the issue is being taken very seriously and that a pathway forward will be found. SOLAS is currently actively engaged with the ETBs and my Department to identify practical and sustainable solutions. I am taking a very keen interest in the discussions, which are ongoing. I am adamant that a solution must be found. The demand across the system has grown significantly, especially in the area of craft apprenticeships, with yearly registrations increasing from 5,271 in 2019, up by 35% to 7,113 in 2024. There is an ongoing significant uplift in demand that is placing pressures on apprenticeships. That is a good thing because we want more apprentices in the system, but it does require greater supports and resources to be made available.”
“I also very much want to support the system and to grow it. However, issues have arisen operationally and that is part of the reason we are having this debate. Each ETB within the system is responsible for ensuring its activities are delivered within the scope of its allocated funding. Engagement occurs between SOLAS and the ETBs on a regular basis and there are annual reviews. Through the ongoing engagement, a funding pressure has recently been identified for the 2025 apprenticeship budget. This pressure is primarily linked to the cost of State allowances paid to apprentices during their off-the-job training phases. Like the Deputies opposite, I have heard about this both officially and on the grapevine. It is an issue that has emerged very recently.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as an gceist seo a ardú. I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. As the Deputies opposite are most likely aware, SOLAS is the State agency responsible for the further education and training sector. A key part of its remit and duties is to allocate funding to the education and training boards to deliver further education and training programmes, including apprenticeships, in alignment with Government priorities. I prioritised the partnerships, which are critical to the success of many of our national challenges, including construction, but also across the board. I support the apprenticeship system to the extent of broadening and widening it and increasing the number of courses and occupations that can be accessed through the apprenticeship journey. I am very much committed to that path.”
“We may well aspire to full membership in due course and I will support that journey, but this is the right approach and level to enter on and it is something we do with the full support and faith of the research community. It is very much a testament to it and I thank all those who have laboured in the vineyard to make this happen. I look forward to it bearing fruit.”
“Deputy Gogarty made a real practical contribution that day by agreeing to pair with me so I could attend without any fear that any votes might be lost along the way. That was very important. We are signing today as associate members. It is important to understand that this is something that has very much been the mark set in conjunction with the research community. A question was asked about why we have not taken out full membership. This is a level to which we aspire and to which we intend to grow. The research community is of a size and scale that associate membership is appropriate. This view is shared by the research community and CERN but it is a journey. As we grow our engagement, involvement and capacity, the intention is that the bandwidth will grow also.”
“It is not like for like because PhD students have their fees paid, they do not pay any deductions, there is no PAYE or PRSI on that stipend and they may be in receipt of grant funding as well. It was well put in that letter. Deputy Jen Cummins spoke about the importance at primary and pre-primary level. Recently I participated in the Curious Minds initiative by Research Ireland, which encourages awareness in primary schools. It was pivotal that I was able to travel to Geneva to sign the treaty. It was only possible because Deputy Gogarty allowed me to be paired for the election of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, at a time when pairs were not forthcoming from other sides of the House. I thank him for that.”
“There was great engineering prowess involved in the tunnelling to create the Large Hadron Collider. There are also electrical supports, scanners and detectors. A massive engineering effort, civil, electronic and computer science engineering, goes into that. There are many opportunities, including in the trades, for Irish businesses to co-operate and contribute. I expect we will see that right across every spectrum of activity, with a huge opportunity to contribute. Several Deputies mentioned PhD students. I am working to increase the level of support provided to researchers across the board. I draw attention to a recent letter to The Irish Times from Professor John Doyle of DCU in which he compared the situation of a student on a PhD stipend of €25,000 with that of a worker earning the same rate.”
“As noted in the debate, this development is about a tremendous academic collaboration but it is also an industrial, enterprise and research endeavour. There are opportunities for Irish businesses and enterprises to be part of the wider journey and, in fact, that is already happening. At the institutional level, Munster Technological University and Trinity College are both engaged in collaborations. Tyndall National Institute in Cork has a collaboration. The fulcrum of activity at CERN is high-end research and seeking to unmask the secrets of the universe through high-end collisions and the operation of the Large Hadron Collider. However, it also offers every sort of supporting technology. When I was there, I witnessed high-performance computing, stacks of Oracle mainframes and servers and a range of data analytics.”
“There are many others, some of whom were mentioned in the course of this debate, who laboured in the vineyard for some time to make this happen. It is a cause for great celebration and acclaim for them as they see their efforts rewarded and brought to fruition. We are able now to take the next step and avail of the opportunities this creates for the Irish academic community. There are plans to leverage our membership. A national advisory council will be set up to grow the research community and the research capacity in particle physics and the related disciplines that concern CERN. We must take full advantage of the opportunities that present. Deputy Byrne talked about a CERN strategy; the national advisory council will be in a similar vein. There may well be an industrial liaison officer as part of that exercise.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Dála a labhair sa díospóireacht seo. It has been a worthwhile debate. I welcome the support for the motion from across the House. What is rare is wonderful. We do not see such agreement often but, when we do, it is something to celebrate. I thank the Deputies on all sides of the Chamber who contributed. I acknowledge the contribution of the scientific community to this achievement. I visited CERN for the first time in 2018 as an Opposition spokesperson. Professor Ronan McNulty of UCD really led the charge on this for many years. He invited me along on that trip, together with Dr. Kevin Byrne and his brother Dr. Joe Byrne. Professor Sinéad Ryan, now dean of research at Trinity College, who was also there, has been an advocate in this area for a long time.”
“For the reasons outlined, I am requesting approval of the House today so that Ireland can join this world-leading international scientific collaboration. Tá súil agam go mbeimid go léir ar aon intinn gur deis iontach í seo. I hope all will agree with me that it is an excellent opportunity. I thank the House for their engagement and look forward to the debate.”
“International research organisations like CERN maximise the impact of international and national investment in research and innovation, as well as developing international collaborative relations. I thank the community who have supported Ireland’s application to CERN and who will continue to play a pivotal role in Ireland’s engagement with CERN. On the occasion of my previous visit, I was joined by a significant travelling cohort from the Irish research and scientific communities. It is fair to say that there is universal acclaim and welcome for this development. It is something that was long awaited and anticipated among the science and research community. This day is something that many will be glad has come. I commend this motion to the House.”
“We need to consider what might be next, and how Ireland might support its scientific community in being at the leading edge and being discoverers and frontier makers ourselves. We are already seeing collaborations emerge between Ireland and CERN. Since Ireland applied for associate membership, Munster Technological University and Trinity College Dublin have each signed agreements with experiments at CERN to contribute to challenges in engineering. Those new partnerships show clear potential for engineers and other workers outside of particle physics to benefit from associate membership. International co-operation in research and innovation plays an important role in the development and sustainability of a world-class research and innovation system.”
“Scientists at CERN investigate the chain of matter and go to questions fundamental to the history of our universe but also made many applied and practical discoveries along the way which have many real world and real time applications - many of which were not understood at the time of their discovery. For example, Tim Berners-Lee, working at CERN, invented the world wide web. He also pioneered the earliest touch screen technology. Both of these were incidental discoveries. In the case of the world wide web, it was a way to share information among scientists and fellow researchers working at CERN. It has gone on to become transformative across the world. There are many other such technologies and innovations that have emerged from CERN and that will emerge in the future.”
“I will speak briefly on the many benefits that we can expect to flow from associate membership of CERN. Irish particle physicists, computer scientists and engineers will have the opportunity to work on world-class experiments. The cutting-edge skills that Irish students and researchers will develop at CERN span engineering, quantum technologies, data analytics, advanced materials and much more. Irish companies will be eligible to compete and bid for broader contracts with CERN, covering all business areas from services to the design and delivery of advanced equipment. These contracts challenge and enable Irish firms to stay competitive and to compete at the very forefront of innovation frontiers.”
“The privileges, immunities, inviolabilities, facilities, exemptions and rights in the protocol are in line with those provided for other comparable international bodies and agreements. Today’s vote is a critical step in progressing the national ratification of associate membership. Should we vote to approve these documents today Ireland can expect to be an associate member state of CERN by autumn. I know that it is critically important for the researchers, students and others who wish to avail of CERN's services to have this in place and complete by the end of this year. That will be enabled should this vote receive cross-House support. While fundamental research is the focus of activity at CERN, the benefits of membership are far-reaching across research, innovation, enterprise and education, to name but a few.”
“This includes: the right to participate in CERN’s scientific, training, and education programmes; the right to representation on CERN’s governing bodies; the eligibility of Irish nationals for positions at CERN; and eligibility for Irish businesses to compete for contracts with the organisation. Ireland’s obligations under the agreement include: an annual financial contribution to CERN, the granting of privileges and immunities to CERN staff, and engagement on periodic reviews of Ireland’s status as an associate member state. Ireland’s annual membership fee has been valued at €1.9 million in 2025 prices, subject to indexation. The protocol on privileges and immunities is the second document included in today’s vote.”
“The CERN council approved Ireland’s application earlier this year, so Ireland is now in a position to join as an associate member, pending Dáil approval of the agreements under discussion today. The signing ceremony took place on 8 May. It followed a visit I made in February of this year, and a previous visit made by the Tánaiste in the course of his Ministry. That signing ceremony is predicated on domestic ratification, which is the business before us today in terms of this motion. The associate membership agreement and the CERN protocol on privileges and immunities are the two relevant instruments. The associate membership agreement sets out Ireland’s rights and obligations as an associate member of CERN.”
“Established in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, is an intergovernmental organisation that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. It is headquartered in Geneva and currently comprises 24 member states and ten associate member states. Associate membership of CERN is a commitment in the programme for Government and a long-standing national ambition. It is also a personal ambition of mine, having advocated for Ireland’s membership of CERN since my time as Opposition spokesperson. I often called for this to happen from the other side of the House and I am particularly pleased to now be in a position to make it happen, as the relevant Minister on this side of the House. Ireland applied for associate membership of CERN in late 2023.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of: (i) the Agreement between the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and Ireland concerning the Granting of the Status of Associate Member State of CERN, signed at Geneva on 8th May, 2025, and (ii) the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 27th May, 2025. I am pleased to move this important motion. I know schedules are running a bit ahead of time. I was in attendance at the Oireachtas joint committee discussing this brief before I came to the Chamber. I think other Deputies may be making their ways across from that session as well because there is a lot of overlap between the two debates.”
“I appreciate the points Deputy Aird made about graduate medicine and graduate entry. There are commitments in the programme for Government to examine the plight of mature entrants. It is important that we scale up the number of people in these professions. A new medical graduate-entry course will start in the University of Galway next year and a new pharmacy course will start this year. A new dentistry course will start in RCSI this year. Additionally, a new veterinary course will start in ATU and SETU next year. We are multiplying the number of professional places across all the universities. However, we are very conscious of the mature entry route, which is something I want to develop and see more of. I take the Deputy's point that the grants perhaps need to be extended further.”
“I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing advocacy for this group and we have talked about it on a number of occasions already. I know he may be a little sceptical of interdepartmental reviews and the rest of it, but the last one made significant progress. Anyone would acknowledge that a 42% pay increase is a pretty substantial one. Certainly progress has been made but I acknowledge that elements of it are still in dispute. That conciliation process is ongoing and the State has engaged the industrial relations machinery with the various referrals. I am keen to engage on it and keen to facilitate that meeting. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, may also engage with me, along with the Deputy. I just need to make sure it is appropriate in the context of the industrial relations process that is live.”
“It is important that we respect the industrial relations machinery. I know the Deputy has a very strong interest in this area. That work is ongoing in the WRC and Labour Court.”
“They stand outside some of those provisions. Last year, the Department reviewed the hourly rate of personal assistants in response to discussions with a representative group of personal assistants. The Deputy may very well have been involved in that discussion. This led to a 42% increase in the hourly rate, which was a significant increase. The rate went from an average of €15 per hour to €21 per hour, with 8% holiday pay on top. Fórsa submitted a claim to the WRC subsequently. Several aspects were resolved through the WRC conciliation process, including confirmation that qualified personal assistants should be awarded contracts of indefinite duration and their entitlements to sick leave and holiday pay were raised. There was another meeting in March. Further requests have been referred to the Labour Court.”
“As acknowledged regarding PATH 4, I did commit almost €3 million in additional funding just this week towards that funding. I also intend to initiate a disability demonstration project, which will inform the development of the new policy framework for more flexible and responsive tailored supports for those students and their educational journey. A great deal of work is being done. Regarding the Fórsa claim, I know this is of particular interest to the Deputy. To give some brief background, personal assistants are employed in ETBs usually on fixed-term contracts. They are not paid outside term time, and there are different rules that apply. They are not public servants or covered by section 19 of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 and they are not members of public sector pension schemes.”
“I also visited other centres around the country, including Field of Dreams in Cork recently. There is good progress. It is heartening to see people with intellectual disabilities who may never have considered that university or higher education was an option for them actually making that journey now, being part of that system and making a valuable contribution to it.”
“Many other supports fall within the scope of the fund, including assistive technology, non-medical helpers, ISL interpreters, transport supports, examination supports and many other types of supports made available to students where they need them. The programme for access to higher education, PATH, 4 funding stream under the national access plan supports my Department's goals of enabling all learners with disabilities to avail of higher education. Just this week, I was very pleased to bring to Cabinet increased funding for PATH 4 that is particularly targeted at learners with intellectual disabilities. We have had some very successful courses. The Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities has some outstanding learners. I visited An Garraí Beag, a Down Syndrome Ireland centre, in my area of Sallins last week.”
“The latest figures available show participation has increased to 14.7% from 12.4% over the past three years. It is on target to reach 16% over the lifetime of the national access plan. In further education, 14,825 learners enrolled in FET programmes in 2023 reported having at least one type of disability. This figure constitutes 6.8% of all learners enrolled in that year. A range of existing supports and programmes are in place for learners with disabilities. The fund for students with a disability is provided across higher education and post-leaving certificate programmes, with an annual allocation of over €15 million.”
“I thank the Deputy and acknowledge his continuing interest in this area and in the matter he referred to at the end of his question. More generally, at the outset, supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a critical national priority. It is something I have been very much engaged in since I took up my role, as were my predecessors. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is also very much engaged. We are very keen to make an impact and progress in this area. This progress is being made as part of the national access plan. This aims to increase the number of new entrants with disabilities to higher education institutions and to have more people with disabilities accessing further and higher education across the board.”
“The next step is the framework around the funds, such as what type of projects, equipment and research is being supported. I intend to cast a wide net because we should not be excluding any particular areas, although naturally there are Government strategic priorities. The IDA strategy was published recently. Things such as digitalisation, healthcare resilience and climate change are all core to its goals. I would put the semiconductor strategy into that mix as well. It is important. Cabinet recently adopted the national semiconductor strategy. The Deputy will be as aware as I am of the importance of Intel in our own constituency in Kildare North and of other organisations such as AMD and others throughout the country. They are all areas in which we have real global competitiveness.”
“The Deputy mentioned the IUA paper published in March. I actually appointed the IUA to my working group and it is actually actively involved in it already. It is an excellent organisation and it is worthwhile to have it in the room for these discussions. The other thing I will say about the programme as I currently envisage it and through my work with the expert group is that it is intended to be a competitive funding call. It will not necessarily be a case of something for everybody but, rather, will be based upon excellence and submissions being made as part of a competitive process. An independent panel will assess applications. That is how the PRTLI was done before and it is how best-in-class funding applications in the research sector are done. It will not be automatic or immediate. Funding is the first step.”
“I intend to not just continue, but to double down and increase, widen and accelerate support for all of that activity. The Deputy asked about timing. This is a significant programme. This is not a one-off grant; I intend this to be a significant body of work which will span my term of office over the coming five years. It is envisaged as a multi-annual programme. I will make my case on the national development plan. I will, perhaps, return to the issue in my supplementary answer.”
“I entirely agree with the Deputy regarding the economic headwinds he referred to in his supplementary question. Part of our competitive offering is that we have such a strong talent base, we invest in education and we invest in research and innovation. Later today, I will travel to Brussels to attend a research council with European Council colleagues and ministers in related briefs across the European Union. We are very keen to support a successor programme in terms of Horizon funding. The Draghi report, which the Deputy will be familiar with, identified that research and innovation must be central to Europe's competitive advantage because it is a key part of our economic offering. It is the reason we have been so successful in attracting foreign direct investment, as well as in our own indigenous enterprises over many years.”
“I have, along the lines of the previous programme for research in third level institutions, PRTLI, a new undertaking that perhaps has not taken place for a decade prior to now. It was a very successful programme in the early part of the century. That is something on which I am engaging with the national development plan in terms of securing significant funding for it. The sector has warmly welcomed my indications in this regard. I am engaging with it intensively, and that progress is significant and substantial. I look forward to seeing the fruit of that when I bring it through the budgetary process later this year, all going well.”
“It is critical that we have that equipment available because that is the building block on which our experiments and research journeys take place. It is critical for training students as well. In addition to research equipment, it is also teaching equipment. Students need to be able to access the best in class in that form. The working group is making good progress. I addressed an Irish Universities Association event last week, where I reiterated my commitment to bringing a significant new funding stream to the sector to examine options as regards supporting the renewal and replacement of equipment and talent. One can have all the equipment in the world, but if there are no people to operate it, learn from it and use it, it is futile.”
“I thank the Deputy for his question and his kind words. I look forward to working with him to deliver for Kildare North and the country as we work together in this House and elsewhere. I know he is spokesperson for a related area as well. I want to acknowledge that and support him in his work. The plan to modernise research equipment is a topic close to my heart. It is something that I immediately addressed when I came into this role. I tasked a team within the Department and established a working group comprising academics, people from the industry with experience in the sector, and my own officials to consider how we might embark on a renewal exercise for fundamental research equipment across the sector. That is well under way.”
“The option is there for students to start their training or educational journey in a college of further education in a local area closer to home, which makes it easier on many fronts. After one or two years in a college of further education they can then progress a to a more traditional higher education institution and go on to degree-level accreditation. That is a wonderful journey. There are many more opportunities. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and I visited the National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas, County Offaly, yesterday. The careers that are opening up in construction are huge. Very exciting new journeys are opening there as well.”
“I agree with the Deputy and I thank him for those points on access to the system for those who maybe would not have had that given they were coming from backgrounds where traditionally education or higher education was not a feature. The further education sector has been so progressive and has led so much in making education accessible to so many more families in a community setting and closer to home. It has made it easier to access education, despite economic reasons, family reasons or caring reasons, and has provided a welcome to, and has embraced, people. There is a very exciting new development relating to tertiary degrees, of which the Deputy is probably aware. I recently met many tertiary degree students from around the country at an event in Grangegorman.”
“I absolutely know it will be put to very good use. It is a fantastic and very exciting project and it is great to hear the history of that building, and indeed of the project and further education in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I thank the Deputy for the invitation to visit. I will certainly put that in my diary and will get there in due course. I would like to see it for myself. You cannot beat seeing it for real and meeting the teams on the ground to understand how projects are coming on. I thank the Deputy for his interest. He was involved in the original site. I will certainly keep a close eye on that and will get to it in due course.”
“The campus will also include quiet spaces and informal learning spaces. The project received approval in October 2024, it passed through approval gate No. 1, AG-1, of the infrastructure guidelines and is progressing to the next stage, which is pre-tender, project design, planning, and procurement strategy stage. SOLAS is currently working with the Cavan-Monaghan ETB to progress this through the next stage. As the Deputy has flagged this as an area of interest, I will certainly keep a close eye on it and will update him as it progresses along. It is going well. It is past the first stage and is now at the next stage, which is the pre-tender stage. SOLAS, the Department and I are working to progress it. We will certainly make sure it moves quickly along.”
“This includes everything from minor capital works, emergency health and safety works and the strategic infrastructure upgrade fund, as well as devolved funding directly from my Department for minor capital works. I am aware the Cavan-Monaghan project is of interest to the Deputy. The proposal there is to build centralised accommodation on land owned and currently occupied by the Cavan Institute on Cathedral Road in the town. That building will have modern learning spaces, specialised areas, and social and recreation spaces, surrounded by open spaces to create a vibrant campus community. It will have a complete range of supports, including guidance counselling. We heard earlier how important counselling is to make sure students make the right choices at the right times.”