Results 10,401-10,420 of 46,456 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: At the outset, I am determined that all students and learners are provided with the opportunities to acquire and develop the skills that allow them reach their potential in a way that meets the very broad and rapidly changing needs of our labour force, the economy and society. My objective is, therefore, to ensure that there is access into either further or higher education for each person...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I am strongly committed to the promotion of collaboration between further and higher education institutions, North and South, and this is a major agenda on the strategic work programme of my Department, as set out in our recently published Statement of Strategy. Both the New Decade, New Approach Agreement and the Programme for Government have been very clear on the importance of enhanced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: There are a number of important statutory and administrative procedures to be completed as part of the process leading to the establishment of the new technological university (TU) made up of AIT and LIT. These include the approval of an order under section 36 of the Technological Universities Act 2018 by the Houses of the Oireachtas and the appointment of the first governing body of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: In accordance with section 36 of the Technological Universities Act 2018, I am required to make an order appointing a day for the dissolution of Athlone and Limerick ITs and for the establishment of the new TU following my granting of the joint application of the two applicant institutes seeking the making of such an order. The order, the draft of which must be approved by a resolution...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations for the 2021/22 academic year were published on 31 March 2021 and SUSI’s online application process is now open for new and renewal applications. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for SUSI to determine. For the 2021/22 academic year, student grant applications will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The mental health and wellbeing of our students is one of my priorities particularly against the backdrop of the intensified stresses and pressures impacting on our students arising from their experiences in seeking to pursue their studies primarily on an online basis during the pandemic. I appreciate this is a time of considerable stress and concern for third level students, but students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 146 together. The purpose of the student Grant Scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold, or in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant. The decision on eligibility for student grant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Our higher education institutions have a duty of care to their students and staff, and a responsibility 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 137 together. The Government has committed to a significant increase in onsite attendance in the tertiary education sector in the next academic year. All parties are agreed that maximizing onsite provision for the next academic year is the shared and most powerful objective to meet the needs of our students and learners and the sector. The Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 127, 131 and 143 together. The Government has committed to a significant increase in onsite attendance in the tertiary education sector in the next academic year.The Department has established a Working Group to achieve this commitment. This group is comprised of all the key stakeholders and it has begun to develop a plan for returning to significant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous and determine their own procedures for admission. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions are made by the higher education institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Therefore neither I nor my Department have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that my Department recently published its Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. The Inclusion goal is one of the six strategic goals in the strategy for the coming period. In this regard, one of my priorities is to support learning for all in the tertiary education system and to develop and grow its supports for vulnerable learners, learners with disabilities,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. A Steering Committee has been established to provide direction for the external consultants undertaking the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 306 together. I received a joint application from Athlone and Limerick ITs seeking the making of an order under section 36 of the Technological Universities Act 2018 establishing a new TU and dissolving both Institutes on 20 November 2020. Upon receipt of the application I had a prescribed role under section 31(1) of the Act to direct the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the statutory framework detailed in the Technological Universities Act 2018, it is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant Institutes of Technology participating in a TU development consortium to progress their plans and, when ready, to make an application to the Minister seeking the making of an order establishing a TU. On 30 April 2021 I received such an application...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Approval to proceed with the LIT Coonagh project was provided in 2018. The development of the facility includes two stages of works - an enabling works package and the fit-out works of the former retail development on the site. The enabling works package reached substantial completion in September 2020. Following extensive engagement between the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and LIT,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 120 and 125 together. The establishment of technological universities is an important part of the Government’s higher education and regional development policy as underscored in the Programme for Government 2020. Under the statutory framework detailed in the Technological Universities Act 2018, it is a matter, in the first instance, for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: SUSI opened its application process for the 2021/22 academic year on March 31 and to date has received over 40,000 applications. This year’s scheme includes enhanced supports for postgraduate students which were announced in Budget 2021. I also secured an additional €20m in Budget 2021 to meet anticipated demands on the scheme as a consequence of the Covid pandemic. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The current National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education covers the period from 2015 to 2021. One of the five priority goals under the plan is “to assess the impact of current initiatives to support equity of access to higher education”. In this regard, a number of reviews have been undertaken of policy interventions including the Student Assistance Fund; the Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I was pleased to see the Dundalk Institute of Technology’s recent publication of its vision to become a campus of a multi-campus regional TU that is dynamic, accessible and student-centred. This publication marks meaningful progress on the proposed trajectory towards achieving technological university status. The vision piece will enable staff, students and wider stakeholders to be...