Results 4,621-4,640 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: Addressing the cost of education is a key priority for me. Over the course of the past three Budgets, I have delivered a range of enhancements to the Student Grant Scheme to put more money into the pockets of students and their families including a significant package of cost of living measures which took effect this academic year. For students starting their course this September, I have...

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

Simon Harris: Apprentices are primarily employees for the duration of their apprenticeship and all of the 67 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. Apprenticeship programmes incorporate a minimum of 50% on-the-job training combined with off-the-job training. This is delivered in a number of different ways according to the apprenticeship programme. Training format ranges...

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

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, higher education institutions are autonomous institutions and therefore it is a matter for individual institutions to determine policy and procedure in relation to any capitation fees or other levy payable by students for services or campus facilitates. In this regard it is not open to my Department to intervene in such policies and my Department has no plans to...

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

Simon Harris: One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All", so that the profile of the apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population. The Plan promotes general access, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeship by offering targeted supports to encourage participation from under-represented groups...

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising matters in relation to the cost of supporting students with higher education costs. I am acutely conscious of the challenges facing students and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to education. I also recognise that costs are not limited to tuition fees or other registration fees payable by students....

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

Simon Harris: Any integration of Carlow College, St. Patrick's into an autonomous higher education institution is in the first instance a matter for the respective governing authorities of Carlow College and any potential partner higher education institution. In this context, the Department understands that the College has been engaging with South East Technological University (SETU) on potential...

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

Simon Harris: A key strength of the apprenticeship model is that it is an employer demand-led approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. As such, the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by employers in any sector. General expansion of apprenticeship as a route to career development is a key priority for Government. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship...

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

Simon Harris: While there are currently no plans in my Department for the provision of funding of universities to explicitly avail of solar photovoltaic solutions as part of any summer works scheme, I can advise the Deputy that energy efficiency and decarbonisation initiatives in the Higher Education Sector are underway, since 2020. An Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (EEDPP)...

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1350 to 1352, inclusive, 1354, 1360 to 1362, inclusive, and 1378 together. The Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF) is a three-year fund (1 September 2020 – 31 August 2023) that invested €90 million in the technological sector to assist with the development and progression of technological universities. Technological university...

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

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will appreciate, third level institutions are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. As such, individual institutions are responsible for student and staffing matters and are subject to compliance with relevant legislation. My Department does not collect nor have access to the specific information...

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

Simon Harris: The Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF) is a three-year fund (1 September 2020 – 31 August 2023) that has invested €90 million in the technological sector to assist with the development and progression of technological universities. Technological university consortia, technological universities, and institutes of technology received funding under the TUTF, with...

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

Simon Harris: Please see below the percentage of social media videos posted on each of my Department's social media accounts that included closed captioning/subtitling between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023, inclusive; and the percentage of same that feature translations into Irish or another language. In addition to videos, my Department and the agencies operating within the Further and Higher educational...

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

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 (IHREC), requires public bodies, in the performance of their functions, to: eliminate discrimination; promote equality of opportunity; and protect the human rights of its members, staff and the persons to whom it provides services. A “public body” is defined in the Act as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (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 for direct reply on this individual matter, who have advised an email has been issue directly to the apprentice this morning providing a scheduling status update.

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

Simon Harris: The Technological Universities Transformation Fund (TUTF) is a three-year fund (1 September 2020 – 31 August 2023) that has invested €90 million in the technological sector to assist with the development and progression of technological universities. Technological university consortia, technological universities, and institutes of technology were eligible to apply for funding...

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

Simon Harris: Following enquiries with SOLAS, I understand that the email address oireachtasinfo@solas.ie and the contact number referred to by the Deputy are no longer in use. The new email address and contact number for queries are communications@solas.ie and (01) 533 2500.

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

Simon Harris: Ensuring a supply of qualified vets is an important issue for my Department. Workforce planning requirements for the veterinary medicine sector are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in consultation with the Veterinary Council of Ireland. Officials in my Department have been engaging closely with colleagues in Minister McConalogue's Department in...

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

Simon Harris: The General Scheme of the Research and Innovation Bill 2023 provides that the Board of the new agency may establish committees to assist and advise it in relation to the performance of any of its functions. The Bill proposes that, where committees are established to provide specific research expertise, they should be known as “Councils”, with the policy rationale underpinning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 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...