Results 4,601-4,620 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 737 and 739 together. The Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF) is a 3-year fund totalling €90 million, for the period 2020 – 2023. It will officially end on 31 August 2023, with all €90 million allocated to the seven technological higher education institutions (ATU, DkIT, IADT, MTU, SETU, TU Dublin and TUS). The fund...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy has outlined, the higher education sector currently continues to operate under the terms of an Employment Control Framework (ECF). The system operates on a number-based control approach whereby an annual ceiling for core funded posts is agreed for the sector each year. Only posts within that ceiling can involve permanent contracts. The ceiling of core funded posts has been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (20 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Thank you Deputy for the question. The details are in the attached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies (20 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The implementation of circular 25/2016 by each State body under the aegis of my department can be found in the attached table.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Officials from the Department of Further and Higher Education Research Innovation and Science and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are engaging on this matter currently.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) provides a broad range of further education and training (FET) options in County Louth as set out in the attached table which provides an overview of the planned FET provision to over 18,700 beneficiaries in the county in 2023. FET provision in County Louth, as across the country, is being supported and expanded by the investment under the...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Dáil for facilitating this debate. I am proud to be a member of the Fine Gael Party that established the Department of Rural and Community Development. It is a Department that has become known to communities, community organisations, local authorities and small businesses across the country as a "can do" Department. Initially under the leadership of the former Minister,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply. These landmark...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is the principal financial support for students participating in higher education. The Scheme provides for fee and maintenance grants to all students who meet the qualifying criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The Construction Safety Licensing Bill 2023 provides for a new and comprehensive framework for the licensing of certain construction, quarrying and related activities in Ireland. Following an independent review of SOLAS’s Construction Services Unit in 2017 and subsequent consultation with public sector, industry, and staff representatives, all stakeholders agreed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully support the introduction of the Construction Safety Licensing Bill as it represents an important contribution by my Department to strengthening the statutory framework for health and safety training in Ireland. The objective underpinning this Bill is to ensure that the number of accidents and fatalities on construction sites will fall as we continue to produce highly skilled workers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the current model, trainees who successfully complete a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) or Quarries Skills Certification Scheme (QSCS) programme receive QQI accreditation and a CSCS or QSCS card. Moving to a licensing model for the activities covered by the CSCS and QSCS programmes was a recommendation from the BearingPoint report, commissioned by SOLAS in 2017....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The principle of academic freedom is a cornerstone of high-quality higher education and research throughout the world. Ireland has among the highest statutory protections in its sectorial legislation for academic freedom in Europe. Academic freedom is provided for in section 14 of the Universities Act, 1997 section 10 of the Technological Universities Act, 2018 and section 5A of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Tackling sexual violence and harassment has been and will continue to a particular policy priority for me and my Department. In fact, one of the very first actions I took after my appointment as Minister in 2020 was to write to all publicly funded higher education institutions outlining my commitment to tackling sexual violence and harassment in higher education and requesting that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: As part of Budget 2023, in recognition of the cost of living financial challenges facing full time third level students funded through my Department, I secured a significant cost of living package for third level students. This included a once-off €1,000 state financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: On May 4th 2022, the Government published Funding the Future, as part of the policy response to the independent report “Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland”, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the various funding options presented in the Cassells Expert Group Report (2016). Funding the Future confirmed that a mixed funding model would be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The total population of craft and consortia apprentices as per 31st May 2023, in tabular form is attached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue which Government and I are actively pursuing. This issue is heightened by the shortage of accommodation in the wider private rental market. Government is committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation attending publicly funded higher education institutions in Ireland. Through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The Debenhams Training Fund, proposed by the Chairman of the Labour Court in the context of the liquidation of Debenhams Ireland, was endorsed by the former workers in May 2021. Having secured the necessary approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Fund is being financed from the National Training Fund. The Fund is administered by SOLAS and provides...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the Further Education and Training Act (2013), SOLAS has statutory responsibility for planning, funding, and co-ordinating Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland. My officials have referred your query to SOLAS, who have advised the apprentice will be called to their off the job training in October 2023.