Results 8,801-8,820 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (29 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is allocated to Higher Education Institutions to assist participating students in both temporary and ongoing financial need. This fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS). These funds are allocated to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Consultations (29 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department actively supports Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the workplace through a number of initiatives for staff to promote the EDI conversation in the Department. This includes initiatives such as Lunch-and-Learn events for staff organised by the Human Resources (HR) Unit on EDI matters, through circulation of resources on an ongoing basis to staff members on EDI issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (29 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am acutely conscious of the difficulties which are experienced by students and their families on low incomes and the critical role of the Student Grant Scheme in supporting access and participation in higher education. The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by my Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (29 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department has not engaged the services of any legal firm for the office of Dundalk Institute of Technology as referred to by the Deputy. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions, including Dundalk Institute of Technology. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ukraine War (29 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Where a person wishes to practice a regulated profession in Ireland, they must engage with the relevant Competent Authority with responsibility for that profession to seek the recognition of their qualifications. In the cases of architects, solicitors and medical professionals, this would be the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), the Law Society and, subject to the medical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (29 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: There are no civil servants in my Department on secondment to the private sector.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for their question on this important matter. Since the start of the 2020/2021 academic year, my Department has worked with the HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the sectoral representative bodies to ensure the national, sectoral and local roll out of: - Online consent training for all incoming students;...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that my Department has a dedicated fund which supports and provides accommodations to students with disabilities in further and higher education. The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides funding to eligible further and higher education institutions to assist them in offering supports and services to eligible students with disabilities so that they can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chairman and members for facilitating this session. I know we will try to get through a significant amount of business today, both the motion before us and Committee Stage of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2022. I will, therefore, keep my opening statement short. Today is a significant day for the people of the south east and higher education in the region. We are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Conway-Walsh and Ó Cathasaigh and the Chairman. I wish to acknowledge - I have never had cause to do so previously - Deputy Cullinane, who has been very active and helpful in the context of this project. The points made in respect of resources and leadership are valid and important. I can come back to the committee for a discussion on resources for technological...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I agree with you, Chairman. I know Senator Malcolm Byrne could not be here, but it is only fair to acknowledge the role he played in chairing the cross-party groups. I wanted to say that in his absence. One of the keys to success when we got stuck at various moments was the fact that most people did not play politics with this issue - no political party did - and I wish to acknowledge...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am getting the trickiest questions at the end. I thank Senator Flynn for her work and how it relates to my Department. I assure her there is an open door policy in my Department in respect of her work. We want to do whatever we can to learn from the Senator's work on diversity and inclusion. I found her recent address to the Dáil inspiring in regard to these issues and we are eager...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: On the Seanad, I will get into all sorts of trouble no matter what answer I give. My starting principle is that I do not believe the franchise for either House should be linked to university qualifications. I cannot speak for the Government on this matter, but that is my view. How can I tell? We talk about apprenticeships and an apprenticeship is a third-level qualification. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: -----that did address as an interim measure, and I think this is the nub of the Senator's question, the extension of the franchise to graduates of other higher education institutions. That sounds like a sensible short-term step to me, but I will get a more substantive response for Senator Flynn because policy responsibility for this area, to the best of my knowledge, lies with the Department...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I should flag that I am considering an amendment to section 1 for Report Stage. It does not relate to this matter, but I believe I am meant to put on record that section 1 is proposed to be revised in regard to collective citations. It is largely a technical matter but this legislation is dealing with the Universities Act, the Technological Universities Act, the Institutes of Technology...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for tabling amendments Nos. 2, 4 and 94. I will deal with the two issues they relate to. I will deal with the matter of the "relevant body" in a constructive fashion and I suggest that if we need to tease through it more on Report Stage, we can do so. I am informed that the term "relevant body" is already defined in section 36(7) of the Bill in the same manner as the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I very much see the Deputy's intention. I accept her bona fides on this and I am not trying to be argumentative about it. One of the purposes of the Bill, however, is to provide a pathway to become a designated institution for institutions that are not currently designated as such. We could pick a number of examples throughout the country. What if a private college wished to become a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: That is not our intention.