Results 35,221-35,240 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (2 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the challenges faced by students in relation to 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: Third Level Staff (2 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants. The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone and the public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (2 Dec 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 Grant Scheme (2 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance 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. An approved course for grant support must lead to a major award between...

Seanad: Technological Universities Agenda: Statements (2 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I am grateful for the opportunity for me and the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, who will also contribute to the debate, to update the House on the progression of the technological university agenda nationally. I am delighted to see such interest in this in Seanad Éireann. It warms my heart that the time for these statements was extended. I am encouraged that there is great...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced by students and their families as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and of the importance of the Student Grant Scheme and related supports, such as the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. These supports have a fundamental role in assisting students and families who are putting their children through further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are responsible for the day-to-day management and operational affairs of the institution. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The level of fees to be charged are therefore a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Since my Department was established in July 2020, it has not been the subject of any formal statutory investigation by the DPC under the Data Protection Acts. There is an ongoing formal investigation relating to SUSI, a body under the aegis of my Department, which is a joint controller of data with my Department, in response to a breach reported by SUSI in 2018, prior to the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year. The funding, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic will offer financial assistance to all EU full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 298 together. The application for TU designation under the Technological Universities Act 2018 by the MTU TU development consortium, comprising Cork Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Tralee, on 12 February 2019 was subject to a comprehensive assessment process including an advisory panel review and the views of the Higher Education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. UCD, TCD and DCU are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and under this legislation they are entitled to regulate their own administrative processes. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the administration of fee waivers for staff within these institutions, and information on them is not held...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (3 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In line with the Common Travel Area, I can assure the Deputy that Irish students, unlike students from other EU Member States, will not be treated as International Students for fee purposes. Officials in my Department are currently engaged in intensive discussion with their counterparts in the Devolved Administrations in the UK with a view to finalising the fees to be charged to Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The EU Directive on Professional Qualifications will no longer apply once the Transition Period has concluded on 31st December 2020. While responsibility for recognition of professional qualifications rests with each relevent Department and their regulators, my Department is responsible for co-ordinating the response to this issue.  Since late 2018, my officials have been working on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, the Government has announced modified Level 3 requirements commencing on 1 December 2020.  These set out that Further, Higher and Adult education should remain primarily online. In this context, a set of guiding principles has been agreed with the further and higher education sectors for implementing a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Employees, in Higher Education Institutions, have a number of industrial relation mechanisms available to them to address queries on employment matters, with either their employer or their union representatives. If unions wish to raise issues, there are also structures within which they can do so, which include Fora for unions representing a wide range of staff. The Workplace Relations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. 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 and private funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (8 Dec 2020)

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 an order establishing a TU subject to their meeting the eligibility criteria prescribed in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year.  The funding, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic will offer financial assistance to all EU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Dec 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. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is...

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

Simon Harris: The development of a sustainable funding model for higher education is essential in light of the centrality of higher education.  The future development of Ireland as an inclusive society and a knowledge economy against the backdrop of rapid technological change.  In that context, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the funding options presented in...