Results 35,581-35,600 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (18 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Decisions on admissions, including deadlines for submissions of applications, are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO in this matter. The HPAT is independently administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (18 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 221 together. Information and reporting on Covid outbreaks, including those associated with higher education, is a matter for public health authorities in the Department of Health and HSE and is subject to patient confidentiality and GDPR requirements. Therefore the information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department. In the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: So the Chairman knows, the Cabinet is still meeting but I chose this location. I am delighted to join the committee and I am sorry for the inconvenience caused by being late.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Mullen for his questions. I acknowledge the correspondence from the committee and, from my recollection, the fact the Senator raised this matter again in Seanad yesterday. I certainly read comments about that yesterday evening. I would make a few points. Regarding the specific institutions referenced in the correspondence, I have been in touch, through my Department, with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator for his questions. First, on the regional matter, I reaffirm to the Senator and the committee my commitment and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, and the Government to provide a site for, let us call it, the Wexford campus of the technological university for the south east, TUSE. I am limited in what I can say other than there is active engagement on it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I can come back in at the end if there is a chance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: Senator Dolan may have to recap on some of those questions. There are many areas to cover. I thank her for her interest and work in this area. The digital skills piece is key, and not just digital skills but literacy, numeracy and digital skills. Approximately 50% of adults lack digital skills. They will be locked out of society and our economies if we do not rectify this. We have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: In the interest of time, I can send Deputy Conway-Walsh a more detailed note. My understanding is the Connacht Ulster Alliance has achieved the required technological university criteria. It has carried out its own independent audit. The CUA and the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, are in negotiations on a memorandum of understanding on a number of associated position papers. A ballot is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I should have kept talking.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I met with the management board in the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and we discussed a number of issues, including Magee. We need concrete proposals in terms of what can be done but the Deputy is correct. The technological university for the north west has a significant opportunity to partner with institutions like Magee in the North. North-South relations will be key in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I know the Deputy has been in contact with me about this. There are huge opportunities for Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology - the university of the midlands, if we can call it that. There is already a footprint in Laois and I am very eager that we do more, particularly around training for Bord na Móna. I had some engagement last week on that at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I am determined to tackle the funding issue. We are awaiting the economic evaluation and the input of the European Commission. We are likely to receive that in the second quarter of this year. No doubt we will be talking about it at great length. As an Oireachtas and Government, we really need to crack this and I am eager to work with the committee on that. Regarding the adult...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: My thanks to Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for the questions. I want to acknowledge that most of the representatives in Waterford, both Government and Opposition representatives, are not playing politics with this. They are trying to deliver a university. Some are choosing to do different things. That is their democratic right and we wish them well. We are going to deliver a technological...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I speak very fast. My thanks to Deputy Cullinane for being an enthusiastic supporter and for not playing politics with this. My thanks to the Deputy for being constructive in his engagement on this matter - I acknowledge that. The Deputy is right on capital. The overall capital envelope will be decided in the national development plan. Let me say this without going too far: that is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his questions. The point he made about boards is interesting. We must be honest about this. People who serve on boards are undertaking public service and it is often hard to attract good people to these posts. That is no reflection on the people serving now. Fewer people are putting up their hands these days to serve on boards and those of us involved in politics...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Farrell for his questions. I will begin by picking up on his last point. We must reform the CAO process. In saying that, I mean no disrespect to a body which does a very good job. It does not fall under the remit of my Department. It is unfair to young people that we narrow the conversation about their educational choices at such a young age. Those young people often only...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator O'Reilly for her question. She put it very well when she spoke about the core values of technological universities. The first part of my answer is that they need to be owned by the regions. I keep on having these conversations with the regions. The Government can set up a technological university in Dublin, but we then need to have the infrastructure in place for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I will try to go through the questions quickly, as I want to talk about the funding. We have three research funding agencies within the remit of my Department. We have Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, the Irish Research Council, IRC, and then we have each of the individual higher education institutions, HEIs, which I will group together as HEIs. The current thinking of the Department is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Future Expansion of the Technological Universities: Discussion (23 Feb 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Dillon for his questions and for joining me at the recent meeting with the president of GMIT and the vice president who is based at the Castlebar campus. Castlebar is going to become a university town and Mayo is going to have a university presence. This has the ability to be transformational for Mayo, Castlebar and the north west of our country. I am really excited about...