Results 4,361-4,380 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully accept the challenges, and do so against a context and a backdrop of really high levels of participation rates in third level education. I am trying to take a number of steps to provide more pathways and opportunities, including providing universities in the regions. The idea that everyone has to move to a big city means that there can be a last-minute scramble, which causes some...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I love coming to Louth because I think we are making real progress with the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, LMETB. I want to praise Martin O’Brien, who is the CEO of LMETB, and others there. I thank Deputy O’Dowd for bringing me up the road to Drogheda so often. We now have plans to significantly expand Drogheda Institute of Further Education. I am very excited...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: We know what the map of Ireland looks like. Every single application that has come to me for a technological university has now been delivered on, but we have had challenges. We do not need a history lesson on how we get over that DkIT issue and how we deliver a university of scale for the north east and all the good opportunities that will come from that. I need to say at the outset...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I agree. As it is a sensitive moment with regard to that public private partnership, PPP, bundle, I will be limited in what I will say. I expect to be in a position to bring finality and clarity to that very shortly. I know how much the new engineering, computing and general teaching building that is planned for SETU in Waterford has been anticipated for a very long time. I accept there...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I answered a question from another Deputy from County Kerry earlier regarding students from Kerry going to Cork for their university education. Of course, that will always happen but I am so proud we can stand here now, as I am sure the Deputy is as a Kerry Deputy, and say that Kerry is now a university county, Tralee is now a university town, and there is a real capacity to do more in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I am aware of the great pride in tourism in Kerry. If I was not, I was made aware of it at the National Ploughing Championships yesterday, with the Kerry tent and all the people wearing "Come to Kerry" hats. It was quite something but you should come to County Wicklow too. I am very aware of the pride Kerry places in that. This is a very exciting project. I will be honest. We would...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I absolutely will. I assure the Deputy of that. Four big things are going on as regards education in Kerry. We have a university, with the Munster Technological University campus in Tralee. We turned the sod on a major new STEM building there only a few months ago, where there are huge opportunities. We also want to see student accommodation developed in Tralee. I spoke to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his question. Of course, our universities need to operate under the law, as does everybody else. We brought in rent pressure zones, RPZs, which universities are covered by. Any time it has ever been suggested to me that those rent pressure zones should be lifted or changed, or exemptions made for universities, I have not been supportive of it and that will continue...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Medical Qualifications (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I do not doubt the Deputy's sincerity about this. I need to say that 460 is not a number that I plucked out of the air. It is what the colleges in Ireland have told us they can do. If the Deputy ever finds himself in my position, all of this is contingent on asking the universities what they can do if we give them more money. The hospitals and others are asking what they can do about...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Medical Qualifications (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this. I did not think we were going to reach that question in oral questions. I do not have my physical answer to hand but I commit to coming back to the Deputy in writing on this today. At a high level, however, what programmes are provided by universities is an autonomous decision for them. No one wants me deciding what a university should or should not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising this question and for his ongoing engagement with me regarding South East Technological University and indeed the Waterford Crystal site. I hear a little mischief-making now and again. We are absolutely and fully committed to the Waterford Crystal site being purchased by South East Technological University. A huge amount of work has been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: That is entirely right. I was talking to the South East Technological University team yesterday at the National Ploughing Championships. I know they are extraordinarily eager to advance the issue of student accommodation. I have had excellent conversations with Professor Campbell about that. Waterford is particularly well placed. We want all our technological universities to develop...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. The first thing he would agree with me is that all roads out of Kerry should not lead to Cork or Limerick when it comes to getting a university education. The first thing I have done is to ensure that Kerry is now a university county and that Tralee is now a university town. This is an important point because the Deputy's constituents in County...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I ask the Deputy to provide me with the details of his constituent who is sleeping in a tent in college because I would be interested to pursue that with the university. There should be no reason we cannot provide accommodation. We have the rent-a-room scheme with 2,500 beds throughout the country available for students to rent. I am not suggesting it is perfect and am certainly not...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I certainly do and am doing things for those students. The Tralee campus is not something for tomorrow or the future; it is there today. More students from Kerry and from across the country have applied to go to university in Kerry this year than last year; that is the point I am making. I certainly do not need to advocate to the Deputy about Kerry. The point he makes is right. We agree...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Medical Qualifications (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for highlighting this important matter. My Department is here to help any part of the public service that needs more people trained in specific areas. That includes veterinarians, as we saw this year, doctors and nurses. We are now doing work on disability services. We stand ready to help any part of the public health service or any Department that wants to put a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Reports (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully accept that students and parents are in no way immune to the cost-of-living crisis. We are living through an inflationary crisis, the likes of which has not been seen since the 1970s, and that is having a real impact on people in making ends meet; there are no two ways about that. That is why we put in place a number of measures last year to help students, parents and families, and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: It is not that; it is grubby behaviour that should be called out as exactly what it is. The Government could not be clearer; the student accommodation in Sligo will not be used for anything other than students as far as the State is concerned. I am beyond disappointed that despite that message being clearly conveyed, private student accommodation is sitting, to my understanding, largely...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I take that point and I want to say one thing on the record of the House in the hope that it is helpful. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has confirmed to my Department that no contract has been entered into with the owners of the properties in Sligo, which were previously used as student accommodation, for the provision of emergency accommodation for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: That is a sound suggestion and I will undertake to talk to the Minister for Transport on this. I am not suggesting that this is the case but there cannot be any bureaucratic reason why we cannot all pull together to try to come up with short-term solutions. Digs and the rent-a-room relief are one solution and the transport issue is an interesting one. There is also the idea of a devolved...