Results 3,441-3,460 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

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...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I commend the Bills Office and my officials in the Department who worked so hard on this legislation. I genuinely thank colleagues for the really constructive engagement we have had. I look forward to this legislation now going to the Seanad. This is a real opportunity to have one singular research funding agency in Ireland and to have that parity of...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies for their assistance. I should have thanked Bills Office staff for the huge amount of work they have done in preparing for tonight's session and for the turnaround times. I take the point Deputy Sherlock made about the ERC seriously. I am very happy to engage with eminent people such as Professor Luke O'Neill and others in the ERC, who serve Ireland well not just in...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I believe that the aim of what the Deputy wants to achieve is already captured by the legislation. The chief executive is already accountable. This agency will be under the remit of the Freedom of Information Act, parliamentary questions, and the Minister of the day being accountable to the House. That is already the case. I also believe that the current provisions adequately capture...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I have no doubt the Deputy believes what he is proposing is better than what is in the Bill. I will explain why I think what I am proposing is better. I hope he will accept my first point. This is the first time in the history of the State that we are placing arts and humanities research on a statutory footing. The Irish Research Council, which has done absolutely incredible work, does...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: As professionals.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Absolutely. I am differentiating between the word “professionals” and “employees”, but I do not mean to interrupt.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: As do I.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: On this issue, I very much agree with Deputy Sherlock and how he put it. That is the balance we are trying to get right. What is appropriate to belong within the legal remit of a research agency? What is appropriate to belong with independent autonomous higher education institutions? To be very clear on the European question, which I want to come back to again, we should not allow the...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I certainly would not answer for the Deputy. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle suggested, I want to return very briefly to the point Deputy Sherlock made in the last grouping which also brings us very much into this grouping. I want be very clear that the advertisements in the booklet regarding appointments to the board of Research and Innovation Ireland gave the closing date as 3 p.m. on...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: To be very clear, and again we teased through this on Committee Stage, which the transcripts will show, it is absolutely the intention that there will be researcher input into the work of the new agency. That is beyond question. There are structures within the legislation, including what would effectively operate as a subcommittee of the board, which will be overwhelmingly dominated by...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for tabling the amendments. A number of the issues he raised are ones I genuinely view as extremely important. I will very shortly publish the final report of the independent external review on researchers, supports, career structures and other issues. I intend to do that this month. The Deputy will remember that we published phase 1 just before the budget and we will...

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...