Results 9,741-9,760 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I’m acutely aware of the challenges facing students in securing accommodation this year, and my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recognises this as a critical issue and are working closely together to address these issues. Approximately 40% of students who rent accommodation do so in purpose built student accommodation, with 60% in the wider...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: In line with the Programme for Government commitment to address the gap in postgraduate grants, from September 2021 I increased the postgraduate fee grant from €2,000 to €3,500. This increase will allay some of the costs for postgraduate study and will give greater certainty for students in terms of supports. In addition, the fee grant income threshold increased from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Following Government approval, I published A Safe Return: Plan for a safe return to on-site Further and Higher Education and Research in 2021/22 on June 15th. The Safe Return Plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bcd91-a-safe-return-to-on-site-fur ther-and-higher-education-and-research/. The plan, which is predicated on the sector’s full commitment to a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will appreciate, the detail of any site acquisition process must remain commercially sensitive. However, I have been clear in my commitment to expanding the imprint of higher education across the south east region. This includes a larger footprint for higher education in Waterford and the acquisition of a site to accommodate a purpose-built campus in Wexford. I can...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The Department of Justice and Equality adjudicates on a person's entitlement to remain in the State and on the stamp that is awarded where permission to remain is sanctioned. The granting of certain permissions to reside in the State conveys certain rights as provided for in legislation, including access to education in line with the rights of an Irish citizen. However some permissions do not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Our higher education institutions have a responsibility to their students and staff to foster a campus culture that is clear in the condemnation of unwanted and unacceptable behaviours, which act as barriers to their safety and their active participation in college life. In April 2019 the Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions:“Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department understands there is a longstanding arrangement in place under which the HSE, and indeed former Health Boards, recruit Trainee Clinical Psychologists and sponsor their training in order to encourage employment with the HSE of suitably qualified professionals. This arrangement is made by the HSE and is not the responsibility of my Department. The question of whether...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Protected Disclosures (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: In accordance with Section 22 of the Protected Disclosure Act 2014, my Department has published information on protected disclosures received during 2020 on its website: gov.ie - Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Protected Disclosures Annual Report 2020 (www.gov.ie) In summary, my Department received no protected disclosures in 2020, to-date in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Development Plan (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I have been clear in my commitment to expanding the imprint of higher education in the south east region. This commitment includes a larger footprint for higher education in Waterford - a city which is targeted for compact and sustainable population growth under Project Ireland 2040. The Deputy is aware of the new engineering, ICT and teaching building which is planned for the WIT campus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is administered by the centralised national grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB (City of Dublin Education and Training Board), on behalf of the Department. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for SUSI to determine. While my office receive many emails from students in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department. The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO, and information on offers is held solely...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Officials from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science have been engaging with officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding this trend in planning applications. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have issued a circular to the Chief Executives of all local authorities and pointed to the critical...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: There are a minimum of two Board meetings per calendar month during September to August each year. Please find attached the number of sitting days of the Student Grant Appeals Board from 2016 to date . NUMBER OF SITTINGS OF THE SGAB FROM 2016 TO DATE Year of Appeal No. of meetings of the SGAB 2016 23 2017 28 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Equity of Access to Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Programme for Government reflects the importance of supporting learners at risk of education disadvantage and learners with special education needs in higher education. The vision of National Plan for Equity of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department places a fundamental focus on working with the Higher, as well as Further, education sector, to ensure delivery of suitable graduates to match what business and enterprise needs and requirements in the workplace. A core focus of the Department's Statement of Strategy is to enable individuals to access the skills required to progress in a way that meets the needs of our economy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: There are a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands, including in the area of the sciences. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified science graduates, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills and capacity to meet these demands. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. There are a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands, including in the area of medical science. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified science and technical graduates, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: A vibrant enterprise sector is a prerequisite for a strong, advanced economy, and a strong economy in turn provides the foundation for a progressive, sustainable and inclusive society. The enterprise sector provides quality employment which is important for our standard of living and inclusivity. The enterprise sector is hugely important in driving innovation in this country. An estimated 75%...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The challenge to deliver adequate numbers of suitably qualified academic and technical graduates to meet the demands of the country is a fundamental focus for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The higher and further education sectors responded in an agile fashion to the challenges of Covid-19 and continuity for the most part was maintained...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The further and higher education sectors have a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure that the educational opportunities being offered specifically target the areas of key demand in the economy. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified higher education graduates and apprentices, and initiatives to equip young people and the working...