Results 4,641-4,660 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Appointments to State Boards (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: On 5 April, Government noted my intention to create the new Research and Innovation agency on 1 January 2024, to initiate a process to designate the Director General of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) as the CEO designate and to initiate a process through the Public Appointments Service to select a suitable Chair and Board Members of the agency. The appointment of the CEO designate was a...

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

Simon Harris: In November 2022, the Government confirmed approval for a new policy led by my Department, to provide State assistance to stimulate the development of new and additional student accommodation for public higher education institutions. This landmark policy response will, for the first time, see the State providing financial support in the construction of student accommodation, and underpins the...

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

Simon Harris: Officials in my Department have requested that the relevant aegis bodies, under the remit of my Department, revert to you directly on this matter as this level of information is not held by my Department.

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

Simon Harris: Under the Universities Act 1997, Technological Universities Act 2018 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous entities including with regard to the management of their library facilities and as such my Department has no function in this matter. My Department does, however, provide funding to the Irish Research eLibrary (IReL),...

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

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that there have been no staff seconded to my Department from the company referred to since its establishment in 2020.

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

Simon Harris: My Department has not awarded any contracts to PWC since its formation in August 2020.

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1381 and 1382 together. Officials from my Department are engaging with Higher Education Institutions to ascertain possible expansion on existing programmes from 2023, including in the area of radiation therapy. Any increase in student places requires corresponding placements in the health sector for students. Significant engagement is ongoing between my...

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

Simon Harris: I refer to the matter raised by the Deputy in the correspondence supplied. SOLAS are the body that has statutory responsibility for the national apprenticeship system. This includes responsibility for those awards issued under its predecessor bodies, FÁS and ANCO. Where an individual is seeking evidence of an apprenticeship qualification, the relevant point of contact is the...

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1384 to 1386, inclusive, together. Officials from my Department are engaging with Higher Education Institutions to ascertain possible expansion on existing programmes from 2023, including in the health and social care professions. Any increase in student places requires corresponding placements in the health sector for students. Significant engagement is...

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

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralized student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. Assessment of means...

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

Simon Harris: My Department is committed to the highest level of data protection for the personal data which it processes and takes its compliance with data protection obligations very seriously. My Department has a range of policies in place which encompass ICT usage, removing files, Information security Policy, GDPR compliance among others. These policies apply to staff regardless of location i.e....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Network (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy makes an important point about cost-benefit analyses. This has been a bugbear of mine in my constituency for a long time. There are parts of certain rural communities, including some in County Wicklow, that will never measure up to a cost-benefit analysis that is based on an urban area. The Deputy poses an interesting challenge, to the system and to the Government, as to how we...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Network (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Indeed, that is a prescient point about how some people, not the Ceann Comhairle, view the expenditure of money in urban Ireland versus rural Ireland. I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for raising the matter. I am happy to respond on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development. The Deputy raised an interesting point about where the responsibility falls. That is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague for raising this very important matter and for his impassioned plea on behalf of his own constituents in County Mayo in terms of the need for improved public transport services, particularly improved bus capacity and airport access. In my own ministerial role, I am also very taken with the points he makes about the importance of capacity for college students. We are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I certainly will resist the urge, too. I thank Deputy Dillon for taking the opportunity to highlight, alongside the need for improved public transport links for rural Ireland and County Mayo, the strong concerns and views in his own community and constituency in respect of the N17 from Knock to Collooney and the importance of that project to the west and particularly to counties Mayo and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Strategies (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Burke for raising this important matter, which affects so many people and to which so many others are predisposed as well. We have objectively seen service improvements for patients with haemochromatosis in recent years. The 2019 GP contractual improvements involved moving services. People sometimes had to go to hospital for services that can now be accessed from the local...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Strategies (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I am doing them all.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Strategies (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague, Deputy Colm Burke, for raising this important matter. I am pleased to respond here today on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health. Hereditary haemochromatosis is a common recessive disease resulting in over-absorption of iron from the gastrointestinal tract. Over time, excess iron accumulates in the cells of organs including the liver, pancreas and heart,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The short answer to Deputy Farrell's question is "Yes, absolutely". We need to move beyond the year to year and look at how we can systemically create a better structure that works for the health service, the higher education institutions and students. If we get this right, the prize can be significant, with a large expansion of third level education in health and social care services....