Minister's answer Further Education Colleges have provided data which indicates that since 31 January 2020, 796 FE students have secured a place on the Turing Scheme and 203 students have participated in the Irish Government Mobility Scheme. It should be noted that the colleges have stated that some figures are unavailable for the year 2021/22 and so the actual number could be higher. Higher Education Institutions have provided data to my Department which indicates 1,185 high

Minister's Answer That is one of the reasons why there are higher standards for HMOs. It is set out in the Act, and landlords are subject to more stringent standards because of the nature of those who may need to use HMOs. Additional concerns can come from local residents in those areas about the proliferation of HMOs. That is why higher standards are already in place. Of course, they can be reviewed if necessary.

Minister's Answer Just last year, we led an academic delegation to North Carolina. As part of the new international relations strategy, there will be an opportunity for us to work more collaboratively. We are in a small part of the world where we all know one another. Our strengths include our connectedness and agility. For example, where industry has a need, we can work with our local universities and have a partnership between academia, government and industry. That needs t

Minister's Answer My Department has not carried out an assessment of the impact of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Following the implementation of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 employing authorities (Education Authority (EA) and Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS)) and Board of Governors were required to review their recruitment and selection procedures, ensuring that they address the implicatio

Rachael is just twenty-three years old and the mother of a two-year-old child. Last year she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain...

Minister's Answer The climate action plan is out for consultation, and part of that is on agriculture. However, agriculture is only one...