Results 11,921-11,940 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There certainly should not be. Through the Higher Education Authority, we have effectively given a quota to each higher education institution. We have ordered almost 17,000 in bulk and they are distributed. Legally, I think they may remain in the ownership of the college but they are given to the student, and there absolutely should not be any fee associated with that.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: All institutions funded through the Higher Education Authority should have received funding from the mental health pot, if we may call it that, and from the digital pot. Those institutions in the further education space that have not received it should receive funding through the education and training boards, the ETBs. I am aware that the Deputy and I are due to have a meeting next week on...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I will ask the Minister, Deputy Foley, and will come back to the Deputy on the issue of engaging. It is always important that Government engages with people, so I hope that could happen. On the specific issue on lecturers and staffing, if people have underlying health conditions their health must be our priority. There are established protocols in primary, second level, and higher...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The review has not started yet. The Deputy will forgive me as I am just eight weeks in office. It is my intention to prioritise it. It is a key commitment in the programme for Government. The priority I have attached so far is to make sure the scheme this year understands the fact the people's income can have changed during the year as a result of Covid-19. I met with SUSI on this...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I am planning on a review of SUSI but I will see if we can expedite that based on the point Deputy Cairns made and I will write to her directly on it. The Deputy asked if the colleges know about the extra places, which is an important point. We went out to them. Of the 1,250 additional places, which is approximately a 3% increase, we identified 363 in health and education, where we asked...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I did not know that was the format.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I was not aware of that but I am more than happy to respond. If I do not get to all the issues in the brief time I have, I will write to the Deputy, if that is okay. The House has, on all sides, been in an almost "Father Ted" mode of asking whether there is anything to be said for another committee. The Cassells report came before an all-party committee, which decided it would be worth...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: That is okay, but I do not want people who watch these proceedings at home to think I do not wish to answer the questions.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I am glad to have this opportunity to address the House as Minister with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science. I will be sharing time with the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. Deputies have already received an update regarding the schools sector. It is a testament to the work of parents, teachers, principals, special needs assistants,...

Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil (30 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: Withdraw that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I look forward to having our own stand-alone question time in September so we can tease these issues out. I am very conscious that this is an important time for students finishing second-level education and hoping to progress to employment, further education and training or higher education. My own Department and the Department of Education and Skills are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for those questions. I made similar inquiries about mental health supports this morning. The €3 million in additional funding that we have provided has been allocated to the Higher Education Authority. That body will now distribute it among the individual institutions. I expect it to be used to increase the capacity of the counselling services that are...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: This amendment is about ensuring that the Government can allow anybody who is entitled to the allowance already by virtue of attending the Cabinet as a Minister of State to draw down that allowance. There is a real stench of hypocrisy from some speakers in this House. Deputy Doherty argued that Ministers should be reducing their salaries. Sinn Féin Ministers in government in Northern...

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: Give it back. Why not give it back then?

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: That is not true.

Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (24 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." It is a great pleasure to present to the House the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary, Judicial and Court Offices (Amendment) Bill 2020, which passed all Stages in the Seanad yesterday. This Bill establishes, for the first time in the history of the State, a Department focused on further and higher education,...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I am best placed to answer that. I thank the Deputy very much. He is correct in that the climate agenda is immense. The commitments in that regard are very clear in the programme for Government, but it is not just for the benefit of climate change, as it is also a crucial time to get people back to work, as there are significant job creation opportunities here and in terms of career...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I am-----

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (16 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his questions. Regarding the July stimulus, I agree that it has to be two-sided. One side has to concern economic stimulus, but the other side has to be about the individual citizens of our country and how we can help them. I assure the Deputy that there will be a focus in the July stimulus on helping to get people back to learning and into apprenticeships...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Simon Harris: I will reply in the short time available to me. Whatever role I am in next week, if I am in any, I hope that Deputy Mattie McGrath and I can find another forum in which we can continue to exchange our views. We have had lots of ding-dongs during the time I have been Minister for Health. I respect the job that the Deputy has to do.