Results 21-40 of 33,688 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: The Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Public Services (previously known as the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality) met 6 times in 2023, 3 times in 2022, 1 time in 2021, and 2 times in 2020. To date this year, the Cabinet Committee has not yet held a meeting but it is expected that one will be planned in the coming months.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Advertising (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: The Department of the Taoiseach incurred expenditure on advertising of €1,784,925.93 in 2022 and €4,808.23 in 2023. The bulk of the expenditure in 2022 relates to the dissemination of information related to COVID-19 public communications. Advertising expenditure was also incurred relating to judicial and Director of Public Prosecutions appointments and Easter Sunday...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Contracts (24 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: The Department of the Taoiseach has not provided funding to the company in question and has no record of any engagement with their personnel.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Appointments (23 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: In appointing my Team, I take a number of issues into consideration, including the key priorities to be delivered on in terms of the Programme for Government; engagement with coalition colleagues; the significant workload associated with the Office of the Taoiseach; the range of skills and advisory supports available to me to assist me in my role as Taoiseach; and the importance of promoting...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (23 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: From 2020 to 2024, there has been an increase of 39% in Voted allocation for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The below table details the net Annual Funding provided for Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions 2020–2024. Year Estimate Provision €’000s 2020 43,968 2021 44,704 ...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (23 Apr 2024)

Simon Harris: The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability will oversee the implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education, with a specific focus on child poverty and well-being, and tackling local area disadvantage. It will also oversee the implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with a particular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (20 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: As part of the policy response to the Funding the Future framework published in May 2022, I identified the need to address cost as a barrier to higher education. I also outlined my intention to pursue funding measures on these issues through the Estimates process, including in respect of reductions to the student contribution payable by free fees eligible undergraduate students. From...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The Governing Authority of a University has responsibility under the Universities Act, 1997 for oversight of the governance and strategic direction of the university including the approval of expenditure for major capital and investment projects, and providing strategic direction and managing the financial affairs of the university to ensure value for money and its financial viability. As...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (20 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Apprentices are scheduled to the nearest available training location from their home base. SOLAS continues to schedule apprentices to courses due to commence in 2024 and monitors the situation regarding capacity for apprenticeship programmes. To ensure that the system has the capacity to meet the training needs of rapidly increasing numbers of apprentices, expansion of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (20 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: It is a priority for my Department to support higher education institutions, in their critical role as drivers of social and economic development in their regions. Within this overall context, the creation of Technological Universities represents a radical reconfiguration of the higher education landscape, which will deliver significant benefits for regional development. This will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (20 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The Advanced Healthcare Assistant Practitioner programme is a 2 year consortia-led apprenticeship at QQI Level 6, and was launched in May 2021. It is a matter for Griffith College as the coordinating provider, in consultation with the consortium, to determine whether there is a need for additional training capacity. This is based on the demand from the healthcare sector. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (7 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I refer to the details provided by Deputy Feighan. Officials in my Department have made enquiries with SOLAS on behalf of the apprentice concerned. SOLAS have advised that this employer is not registered with SOLAS as an apprentice employer, and as such this period of employment cannot be included in the apprentice’s time served.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutions of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ireland are autonomous bodies. As such, these institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes including their academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Agreements (7 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I am deeply concerned by the desperate situation of civilians in Gaza. This remains a central priority for the Government, including at EU level, where Ireland is consistently calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - Horizon Europe - is the European Union’s largest research and innovation programme and encompasses all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233, 234 and 235 together. Redundancy or severance payments in the Civil Service generally arise with respect to specific categories of employees, as determined by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) and approved by Government. My Department was established in August 2020. Accordingly, there are no...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the table below. The data was sourced from the HEA Student Records System. The table shows the proportion of enrolments in the Royal College of Surgeons by their domicile group for the most recent five years available. There has been substantial additionality in healthcare and medicine programmes for Irish and EU students. Along with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Since the introduction of the Disability Act in 2005, building regulations have been updated with Universal Design in mind and a more comprehensive technical guidance document is now in place. ‘Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use’, or TGD Part M which came into force on 1st January 2012 describes the minimum guidance to illustrate compliance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Under Section 25 of Disability Act 2005, public bodies must ensure that public buildings are accessible "as far as practicable" to persons with disabilities. This requirement is outlined in part M of the Building Regulations Act, and public buildings must abide by any amendment made to part M within 10 years of that amendment. All capital projects including new construction, material...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The information requested by Deputy Cairns is presently being collated by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: In November 2022, I appointed Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney to undertake an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers. This is the first time that State supports for PhD students have been considered holistically in this manner. During their exercise they met with over 35 stakeholder organisations, one of which was the PWO, and they received over 750 online...