Results 34,601-34,620 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

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 thank the Deputy and I will respond to him in writing on those issues. The Deputy is exactly right about the new appreciation we all have for teachers and other people working throughout the education system. I look forward to working with Deputy Carey on trying to drive investment. I saw some very positive investment in regard to the further education facility in Ennis in recent days...

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. If we were in normal times, I would organise a briefing in the audiovisual room. However, I hope to organise an online briefing for Oireachtas Members on the SUSI grant system with SUSI officials. I know we are all getting a lot of queries into our offices, so I will arrange for that to happen very shortly. I want to make sure there is flexibility this year. SUSI...

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

Simon Harris: I will send the Deputy a note on the technicalities in regard to how that is done but I believe it is working quite well. If the Deputy's belief is to the contrary, I will come back to him on that. On the issue of accommodation, there are two points. First, we do not have enough college-owned accommodation. There is an issue at present, as the Deputy will know from his own...

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.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 833, 842, 843 and 844 together. The system whereby calculated grades are generated includes a process of national standardisation in which marks and rankings submitted by schools will be examined and may be adjusted using statistical methods to ensure a common national standard is applied. National profiles of achievement at Leaving Certificate level over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, including the funding of student services, is a matter for the individual institution. All...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for holiday earnings made by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period. Student grant applications for academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Protected Disclosures (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The disclosure referred to by the Deputy was received in the Department in May 2017. Following consideration by the Department, it was considered appropriate that the disclosure be treated as a protected disclosure and in that regard, it was subsequently forwarded to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for examination. This is in line with the Department’s protocol in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Costs (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 840, 846 and 852 together. Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students. Students pay a student contribution of €3,000 per annum which can be paid in instalments. The state pays the contribution in full or part for an estimated 44 per...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: In July of 2018, the Innovation District Advisory Group was established to develop and agree a vision for the Grand Canal Innovation District. The group included representatives of business, the universities in Dublin, the local community and the public service. The report of the Innovation District Advisory Group was submitted to Government in December 2019 and was published in January...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department will be situated in Dublin, Tullamore and Athlone. My functions will encompass responsibility for policy, funding and governance of the Higher and Further Education and research sectors and for the oversight of the work of the state agencies and public institutions operating in those areas. My Department will cover each of these areas. My policy responsibility as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a Once-Off COVID-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This initiative addresses concerns regarding the digital divide in the context of the shift to online and blended models of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 851 and 871 together. I appreciate that students wish to know the details of the 2020/21 academic year in order to facilitate planning around accommodation, transportation and other commitments. I have been in contact with the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to request that this information be provided to students as soon as possible. All HEIs have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Unions (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I would like to thank USI for their detailed submission and proposals on Higher Education. The recommendations outlined in the submission along with other relevant submissions received in advance of budget 2021 are being considered as part of the overall budgetary discussions on higher education provision for 2021. To date significant progress has been made in increasing investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Functions (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The overarching vision in Innovation 2020, the current national strategy for research and development, science and technology, is for Ireland to become a Global Innovation Leader driving a strong sustainable economy and a better society. Within this, there is a focus on excellence, talent and impact. Innovation 2020commits research funding Government Departments to ensure that research,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Reform (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The development of a sustainable funding model for higher education is essential in light of the centrality of higher education - both in terms of human capital development, research and innovation - to underpinning the future development of Ireland as a knowledge economy against the backdrop of rapid technological change. In that context, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sustainable Development Goals (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Government commits my Department to continuing to work towards the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at ending poverty, reducing inequality, and tackling climate change. As set out in the SDG National Implementation Plan, a range of Department strategies will contribute to delivering Agenda 2030 including the National Strategy for Higher Education to...