108. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the impact of the increases in the SUSI grant levels introduced in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37308/25]

Sentiment score: 0.21

It is very interesting if you look at the data, particularly for mature students. This is over a period of time. I do not think it is for that particular year but for mature honours degree students aged 23 and over, 71% of SUSI grant recipients completed their degree compared with 65% of those who did not get SUSI support. It seems that mature students get through at a better rate if they have more support. It is the same for mature general degree students who receive SUSI support, with 70% of them getting their degree compared to 59% of those without SUSI support. For mature students, it seems to have a particularly good impact. I have seen the statistics for the various counties and the number of students getting support. They are very substantial, with more than 80,000 in total. With the Minister's maths hat on and his interest in data, what I am really interested in - perhaps his officials could deliver in due course - is as he makes changes to these schemes, how can he see the impact the year after or can he track back and link back making the changes to some level of outcome afterwards?

Sentiment score: 0.60

That is the point I was making. It looks like the data indicate mature students who get the SUSI support do better in the long run than those who do not. It is a matter of closing the loop over the research and considering it in the long term to understand what happens when levers are pulled. When the Minister pulls levers, it is a case of asking whether he is just bringing more people into the system who will ultimately leave without success or targeting the resources at particular groups of students. It would be useful at the right time to get more information on that.

Sentiment score: 0.17

114. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there is a detailed plan on how the National Training Fund will be expanded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37309/25]

Sentiment score: 0.13

As I understand it, it is a 1% charge which is collected through employer's PRSI. I was looking at employer's PRSI and could not find it anywhere so I presume it is just buried within the employer's rate. Will the Minister give us a sense of this? It is going up year on year, with buoyancy in employment it should be going up more. Roughly how much does it go up by year on year? That sets out the scope of operation in terms of what can be done.

Sentiment score: 0.00