Results 8,641-8,660 of 47,419 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 and 427 together. Technological universities (TUs) are autonomous higher education institutions as provided for under the Technological Universities Act 2018. Section 11 of the 2018 Act provides that a TU shall have a governing body to perform the functions of the university under the Act. In this context neither I nor my Department has a role in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: Employees in Higher Education Institutions have a number of industrial relation mechanisms available to them and queries on employment matters are addressed first and foremost at a local level, either where an employee may raise a query directly with their employer or by having a query raised on their behalf by their union representatives. In the event that a satisfactory outcome is not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: Both my Department and I are of the view that enabling appropriate access to finance is one of the significant requirements for the delivery by higher education institutions of purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) and my officials continue to engage with counterparts in relevant Government Departments and other relevant stakeholders including HEIs to explore potential options and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 431 together. Irish Universities have autonomy to borrow in their own name within a framework to be agreed with the HEA, the Dept of Finance and Dept of Public Expenditure and Reform. Section 38 of the Universities Act, 1997 states that: ( 1) A university may borrow money by means of bank overdraft or otherwise and may guarantee or underwrite a loan...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware an emergency once off and repayable funding allocation of €5m was provided to the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) by the HEA and Department in 2019. Serious cash-flow difficulties emerged in the Institute and it was identified in 2018 that the Institute would need additional funding and a series of cost saving measures to ensure its sustainable future....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, higher education institutions are autonomous bodies with their own management structures and, as such, are responsible for decisions in relation to site acquisitions and other capital matters where these are not being funded by the State. All capital projects advanced by publicly funded Higher Education Institutions must comply with the provisions of the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: Requirements relating to land acquisitions by publicly-funded higher education institutions are set out both in legislation and in relevant codes. Relevant legislation includes: - Universities Act, 1997 - Technological Universities Act, 2018 - Institutes of Technology Act, 2006 The general requirements which must be followed by State bodies in relation to property acquisitions are set out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: Carlow College is private college with charitable status under the regulation of the Charities Regulator. My Department and I have no statutory function in relation to Carlow College. The only recurrent funding provided to Carlow College by my Department is in respect of the grant in lieu of tuition fee funding for approved courses which is provided in respect of students who are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 438 together. As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Public Spending Code, the Project Lifecycle refers to the series of steps and activities which are necessary to take the proposal from concept to completion and evaluation. The Coonagh Campus project was split into two components; the ‘Enabling / Shell & Core’ works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is set out below. Payment Date Amount Detail 2017 €3,500,000.00 Site Acquisition 2019 €5,364,014.24 Enabling Shell & Core Works & Design Team Fees 2020 €288,725.85 Enabling Shell &...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 440 and 441 together. GMIT’s interest in the acquisition of Crowley Park, and its engagement with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and previously the Department of Education and Skills, extended back many years prior to its eventual acquisition of the property in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) and the Cork School of Music (CSM) are part of Munster Technological University (MTU), with projects delivered by way of Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract. I wish to advise that once a PPP contract has been signed, the cost information is published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). Details...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: As requested by the Deputy please find attached details of the capital funding (including Devolved Grant funding), provided to Cork Institute of Technology, now Munster Technological University, since 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) publishes its Annual Report on its website (www.ggda.ie). In additional to providing details of the GDA’s activity, the Annual Report provides details of all funding received including capital and current funding provided by my Department for the development of the Grangegorman campus and the operational cost...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Transport (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The Public Sector Climate Action Mandate is set out in Climate Action Plan 2021. The Mandate requires public sector bodies to show leadership in climate action by purchasing only zero-emission vehicles where available and operationally feasible from end of 2022, enabling Ireland to go beyond the requirements of the Clean Vehicle Directive and act as an international leader in this area. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating student and graduate enrolment data from higher education institutions and the HEA does not collect data for PhD completion rates. Details of HEA student data can be found on their website: .

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) on behalf of the higher education institutions who set the policy criteria for the scheme. Further information on IUA is available here www.iua.ie. Admissions under the scheme are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The new PhD programme to which the Deputy is referring is Innovate for Ireland. The Taoiseach and I recently launched Innovate for Ireland, which is a new partnership between industry and the Government to recruit and retain research talent to Ireland. Innovate for Ireland will commence in 2023 and the initial phase will seek to attract up to 400 high calibre PhD students to undertake...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the 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 student grant scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (20 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: Under my Department’s Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students exclusive of the student contribution (€3,000 per academic year). In order to qualify for funding under the FFI, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the progression criteria. The free fees criteria...