Results 3,801-3,820 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I agree. The next step is for us to meet with the personal assistants to see what progress can be made on the basis of the additional allocation I received in November, as well as to see how the FÓRSA claim is considered and progressed. My Department is monitoring that closely. I also want to inform the House of my intention to do that broader piece of policy work on ensuring...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy could not have known when he submitted his question that I would make an announcement this morning but I am pleased to say that I have just given approval for a major expansion of apprenticeship provision in the Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT. A total of 390 additional apprenticeship programme places will be provided there under a programme that will see the refurbishment...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is entirely correct. He is in this House for a very long time and knows very well the different challenges that come with different stages of the economic cycle. I remember when I first got elected to this House to serve alongside him when we were dealing with an economy with 15% unemployment. The issue employers certainly were not bringing up with us was the difficulty of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Dillon for his work with me and his interest on this project. We have been in Castlebar many times and we can report real progress that it is now a university town, Mayo is now a university county and we have the Atlantic Technological University. From my engagement with the president of the university and from the Deputy directly I know how much of a difference that is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Dillon. I am pleased the Atlantic Technological University and the Castlebar site are now able to provide apprenticeships, but like I was saying earlier, we expand apprenticeship provision. It is important we also try to do it in the regions, because we want people to have an opportunity to be able to access this in their home towns or counties and we want employers in those...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. He is entirely right. For the technological universities to reach their full potential and indeed for the full benefit to be seen for the regions of Ireland we need to see the provision of student accommodation. That never happened when they were institutes of technology. I think Waterford Institute of Technology may have, of its own volition, provided some student...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy on both issues and I will look at that widows and widowers issue. I want to look more comprehensively at an overhaul of SUSI to make sure the thresholds are right, that it is supporting people and families across the country and that it is agile enough to understand that people learn in different ways. That is why the part-time change is an important one. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I will do that. Deputy Griffin is entirely right; if you go into a café, hotel, pub or shop, people will tell you it can be hard to attract staff. There are many students who are working, who need to work and who want to work but they are worried that if they work too many hours, they might go over the threshold and lose their student grants. The good news is that progress has been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his question and kind words. Planning for current and future public and private sector workforce and skills needs and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitable qualified graduates is a particular priority of mine. I say public and private because we need to meet the needs of the economy and to continue to work closely with businesses on upskilling and reskilling...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: On Deputy Durkan's question, we will liaise with industry in terms of our regional skills forums. This is the mechanism that has been looked at by other countries with a degree of interest. We have, in every region in Ireland, a regional skills forum. They bring together the colleges, ETBs, universities and employers in the region to look at what is needed in the south west or Dublin, for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: Well, of course, they are not the facts, because the facts show me-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not doing this.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not doing this. I am not doing this shouting. If interest was measured in decibels, you would win the contest every time, but we do not need to shout and roar at each other. You asked me a question and I am going to answer it. You might listen. In the Cork training centre alone, there are 484 apprentices. In Munster Technological University, which is in Cork, there are 160. In...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: No, hang on. You cannot stand up in Dáil Éireann as a representative of the people of Cork and tell them there are only a certain number of people in a programme when there are not.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: Just stop. You are picking and choosing one phase in one programme.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: Today, I will send the Deputy the number of apprentices in Cork. I will send it to him. I will send it to the Ceann Comhairle and we can all tell the truth in this place.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: You do not need to send me my own figures. I have them.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I will do that for Deputy Gould today. I will acknowledge the number of apprentices that are in Cork, or for anyone else who wants the figures relating to their constituency. There are more than ever before in this country. There are more than ever before. These are record numbers. There is an issue with waiting times, which is what this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I should also say that I will get back to Deputy Mairéad Farrell with specific information on the breakdown of the programmes. I am happy to provide that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (18 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: It is my priority in 2024 to continue to drive down the cost of education. I am pleased that the Government and the Fine Gael political party have managed to reduce fees for more than 96,000 students for two years in a row now. This is putting €1,000 back in the pockets of families right across the country. I want to see more progress in relation to that. I want to continue to see...