Results 34,841-34,860 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The information as requested by the Deputy is not readily available within the Department. My Department is in the process of working with agencies to collect and collate the data in question and will revert with a reply to the Deputy directly as soon as it is received.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Requests for funding for Teagasc students is a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. I have been in contact with my colleague the Minister for Agriculture on this matter and I will refer your query to him for direct response.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID supports for the higher and further education sector approved by Government on 22 July 2020, my Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has allocated €15 million of capital funding for a once-off Covid-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This grant is being made available to further and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that there are various income thresholds used depending on the type of grant, family size etc. While SUSI has statistics on those students who have applied for grant support and can estimate with some degree of certainty, what impact changes to the thresholds might have for those students on lower income levels, the accuracy of its estimates become less reliable at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The development of the LIT Coonagh facility includes two phases 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. The final design and the tender package for the fit-out phase has been completed by LIT and is currently under review by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There has been no expenditure to date on media monitoring services / private contract operators / in-house services by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There has been no expenditure to date on media monitoring services, online or hard copy subscriptions since May 2020 by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science”.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (30 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There has been no expenditure to date on third party companies to conduct media monitoring or on services to provide reports on media coverage by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in the periods in question.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (1 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The student grant scheme, administered by SUSI, provides maintenance grants to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Student maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or non-adjacent rate. The distance to be measured is the shortest non-tolled most direct route from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (1 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures. The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the HEIs Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. As such, neither I nor my Department have a role in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (1 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. With regard to the residency criterion, in order to be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (1 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Universities are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the management of their academic affairs, including the delivery of their courses are matters for the individual institutions. However, the Department of Further & Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science would encourage both sides to engage to resolve this matter. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (1 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with students paying the student contribution. The student contribution fee is currently set at €3,000 per annum and can be paid in instalments.  The State pays the contribution in full or part, through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the Department of Education and Skills in financial terms is the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to students in further and higher education. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: English language education (ELE) in Ireland is a broad and diverse sector with the vast majority of activity undertaken by private sector providers. I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the ELE sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers. As part of the response to the pandemic, my Department established a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the challenges faced by students regarding student accommodation this year due to financial pressures and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students in this difficult time. My Department, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level e.g. progressing to postgraduate study. To qualify for grant support, a student has to meet various criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. As part of the package of COVID supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: On 25th September intensified protective measures in third level were announced, in line with public health advice. This has meant that on-site activity will be minimised so long as these measures are in place. While I appreciate that this may be disappointing for students who had hoped to have as much time on campus as possible, these measures are necessary if the spread of the Coronavirus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Nursing Education (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 575 and 576 together. In order to help mitigate the impact of the changes to the grading system I announced the creation of an additional 2,225 places on high-demand courses in Higher Education Institutions. These places were provided in order ensure that as many students as possible could be accommodated on a course of their choice, given the unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with students paying the student contribution. The student contribution fee is currently set at €3,000 per annum and can be paid in instalments. The State pays the contribution in full or part, through SUSI, for approximately...