Results 4,381-4,400 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that the reference I made to €1 million was in respect of money given to the technological universities for planning for student accommodation. We have a much larger capital budget available. In fact, we have a new fund, the technological sector strategic projects fund, TSSPF. That fund will be available to Professor Campbell and others to take forward projects,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I agree with the Deputy's last point. I am fed up with the lecturing tone that is taken to farmers. They know better than most about the climate. They are out on their farms while we are talking about it in the Dáil. They can see the changes and want sustainability, as I heard at the National Ploughing Championships. Research is our friend as we seek to come up with innovative...

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

Simon Harris: I have to wait to read the Deputy's submission. I thank her for the question. It is that awkward time at parliamentary questions where I am supposed to say that these are matters for budget day on 10 October, which is true. We are in the period where Departments are engaging on what their budget allocations will look like next year. Let us start with what we know. I want to see us take...

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

Simon Harris: If you are sitting at home and having to find €3,000, you do not care what the Government calls it. It is effectively a fee in the sense that it is a bill that must be paid. If you have more than one child in college at the same time, as many people do, the impact is very real. The cost of going to college is, of course, even more expensive if students have to move out of home. I...

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

Simon Harris: I join Deputy Farrell in recognising the major milestone that starting third level education is for so many young people, and indeed not-so-young people. The Deputy and I have not met in the House since the results came out. This year, we saw three out of five students getting their top choice of course, and I acknowledge that achievement. However, the Deputy is right that the housing...

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

Simon Harris: On the issue of cost, there are a number of ways the Government can help with the cost of rent, specifically for students. Last year, the Deputy will be aware that we got the finance Bill changed to make sure students could avail of the rent tax credit, including if they were renting a room or digs, and that their parents could avail of it if they were renting college-owned accommodation or...

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

Simon Harris: I appreciate the Deputy's sincerity on this, and I will work with her on it. I have talked to the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, the UCD students' union and many students about this. As I said in our previous exchange, this is about getting this right. We need to make sure that every student and homeowner goes into this with their eyes wide open. If someone rents a room in a house,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Murphy for raising this issue with me, as she does regularly. I think she is also a former student of the Wexford campus. I am delighted that we now have a South East Technological University, SETU. It is key. We have given a very clear commitment that, as part of that, there has to be a real and meaningful campus in Wexford. They are not just my words, though they are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Tracking graduate outcomes is crucial to monitoring and improving the quality and outcomes for learners in higher education. There are two key sources of data in this regard. The Higher Education Outcomes data, published annually by the Central Statistics Office tracks the destinations and earnings of graduates by linking student records from the Higher Education Authority with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Inclusion is a core goal for my Department across the tertiary education system and equity of access to Further & Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and my Department. While higher education institutions are autonomous, the approach of my Department has been to offer a range of supports which enable them to meet national objectives, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The table requested is being collated and I will provide the Deputy with the information in writing. Since becoming Minister, I have prioritised increasing pathways after secondary school through Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship system provides a real and substantive career pathway for first time learners, it allows them to ‘earn while they learn’ whilst also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I engage regularly with my Government colleagues on how the rising cost of living is impacting students, and I have ensured that measures to support students have formed a core part of the Government's overall response to cost of living issues. This includes close engagement with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. My Department works to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I have made it a priority over recent years to address the issue of the student contribution, as part of an overall approach to addressing the cost of education for learners and families. My Department pays the student contribution, in full or part, on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme. In 2022/23 almost 54,000 students, or approximately 38% of free fees...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is currently targeted at full-time students. Courses that are part-time, less than two years in duration, undertaken online or as distance courses, or which lead to a special purpose or distance award, are not currently approved for the Student Grant Scheme. The Springboard+ and HCI initiatives funded by my Department do offer a number of part-time courses which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Community (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I am committed to making progress in enhancing access, participation and success for learners across further education, apprenticeship and higher education. The number of students who are members of the Irish Traveller community has improved marginally but still remains disappointingly low. Recent data for 2021/22 indicates that the current number of Traveller new entrants is 52. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The Fund for Students with Disabilities is a critical intervention which supports participation by students with a disability in further and higher education. The fund is an important driver for equity of access to education for students with a disability The purpose of the fund is to provide resources to Further and Higher Education Institutions for the delivery of key services and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: As of the start of this week, some 90,100 applications have been made to the Student Grant Scheme. 68,300 have been awarded and 6,900 have been refused. A further 2,300 were cancelled. Over 12,000 applications are awaiting assessment, or require further documentation to be provided. The figures for the 2023/24 academic year are likely to change as processing is ongoing and more applications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The tertiary education system plays a central role in ensuring that our graduates from higher education, further education and training and from apprenticeship are equipped with the cognitive skills, the essential transversal skills, and the vocational and professional skills and competencies which will equip them for success in work and society. Against the backdrop of the accelerating and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified graduates is a key priority for me and my Department. This year 460 targeted additional places were created in healthcare programmes. This represents meaningful additionality within existing infrastructure, and targets expansion towards priority skills areas. It builds on additional places created, including in Nursing and Medicine, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the Free Fees Initiative the State provides funding toward the tuition fees of eligible undergraduate higher education students. All students eligible for the scheme receive State support whereby the State pays the cost of tuition fees exclusive of the student contribution. In academic year 2022/23 over 141,000 students benefited from the scheme. The aforementioned student...