Results 9,141-9,160 of 47,419 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: I did not get to this question in my opening statement, so I am grateful to the Deputy for asking the question. There is a group of 60 Irish medical and dental students who were forced to abandon their studies in Ukraine for their safety. My officials - and I thank Mr. Ian McKenna and his team - have been liaising with the deans of the medical schools in Ireland. Those deans are currently...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator. Her analysis is right and honest. This is a situation that will evolve, as the Senator noted. We are at the early stages, from the point of view of our sector. The first thing you need when you arrive in a new country having fled war is not higher education, but accommodation, food, safety, checking in with your family, learning the English language in the community,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: The student assistance fund will also be available for students from Ukraine to draw down if they have specific needs. In the memo that I am bringing to the Cabinet, probably within the next two weeks, there will be specific funding for additional psychological support services for students from Ukraine. I will reflect on what the Senator has said about whether there is a need to do more....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: The Senator is right about career guidance. We have linked in and are utilising the ETB career guidance service. I am grateful that the Senator mentioned ETBs because it provides me with an opportunity to thank them. I have visited quite a number of ETB centres in several counties over the past month and have been blown away by the level of work they are doing and the skills on show across...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: No. I needed to clarify that, given my previous comments about SUSI. They will get the SUSI level of support through the Erasmus+ agreement that we have reached at European level. The Acting Chair and Deputy Ó Cathasaigh raised an issue about research. We are in receipt of a proposal from a university working with the Irish Research Council, IRC, and Scholars at Risk for funding to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. Yes, that entrance examination, the leaving certificate equivalent if you like, can and will be a route into third level education. We have talked a lot about CAO reform and how there must be other pathways. The university system takes in many students through the mature student application route every year so it is not without precedent that there would be another...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: To the best of my knowledge, it is specific to Ukraine at the moment. I alluded earlier to the fact that a policy question will have to be addressed in this regard because these matters relate specifically to people who are displaced in Ireland and under the protection directive issued at European level. It may present a significant policy contradiction as regards how other refugees in this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes, I agree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: I will do that. The Deputy is right. A universities of sanctuary initiative is run through a number of universities. We have made significant changes to the level of financial support available and made it easier for people in direct provision to qualify for support in higher education. However, I also want to be honest with the Deputy. We have the Dr. Catherine Day report on this issue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes, that is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes, recognition of qualifications and the like fall under the Department. The Deputy will be delighted to know that there are approximately 45 competent independent regulators and authorities within that. To give an example, SOLAS, which deals with many of the trades and crafts, is operating a system where an individual who comes to Ireland with a foreign qualification, trade or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: I do not wish to use up the Deputy's time but the position is similar in the case of nursing. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and the Medical Council are working through issues. It might be useful if I provided some of the notes I have to the committee. It is basically about each independent regulatory or competent authority, which is SOLAS in the case of the trades, working...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Education Supports for Ukrainian Students (1 Jun 2022)

Simon Harris: The short answer is that this is about additionality and working to ensure we put an individual support and information structure around anybody who comes here. I can only speak for the numbers in further and higher education. So far those numbers have been quite small and especially so in the context of the overall numbers. There are probably around 500,000 people in third level education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (31 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Apprentices are primarily employees and all of the 65 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment.  For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer, with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the programme. Information on employment legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (31 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 529 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to this issue has been requested from SOLAS. Officials in my Department are engaging with SOLAS to confirm the position and the details will be communicated to the Deputy  as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (31 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the use of the recognition of prior learning procedures is being compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (31 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) programmes provide for the training, assessment, certification and registration of non-craft operatives, providing the knowledge and skills needed for occupations within the construction sector. There is a new entrant programme for individuals who do not have the relevant experience for CSCS assessment and individuals that have no...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (31 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education. In considering the position it is important to distinguish between the free fees policy of an individual Higher Education Institution and the eligibility criteria of separate tuition fee schemes provided by my Department. ...