Results 35,661-35,680 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Mar 2021)

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 important contribution made by this sector and of the challenges that are being encountered given the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on students, teachers and providers. As part of the response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2020. In the context of scarce resources, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: The Student Assistance Fund provides financial support to full- or part-time students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending higher education. The Fund can be claimed for expenses such as books, rent, food, medical costs, class materials, light and heat bills, essential travel and childcare. Students on full- or part-time courses leading to a higher education award...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Hibernia College is a privately owned online third level educational company which delivers, inter alia, post graduate initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. As a private company, Hibernia College determines its own annual student intake and the Department does not hold data on the information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous and determine their own procedures for admission. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions are made by the higher education institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Therefore neither I nor my Department have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the challenges faced by students regarding student accommodation this year due to both financial pressures, and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. The Deputy will be aware that the university sector has been actively engaging with students on the issue of accommodation refunds. As a result of the decision to minimise on-site teaching, all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Speech (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: The principle of academic freedom is a defining characteristic of high-quality higher education and research throughout the world. Irish universities are independent and autonomous statutory bodies established under the Universities Act, 1997 which guarantees the principle of academic freedom and puts in place detailed institutional level governance arrangements for the management, operation,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Broadband Plan (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education Research Innovation and Science has not been directly engaged with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) but HEAnet, the Education sectors shared service network provider has attended several technical workshops with NBI over the past two years.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department is committed to the enhancement of all aspects of our work relating to North South cooperation and the all-island economy. Specifically, I have prioritised regular bilateral engagements on a North-South basis, both at Ministerial and Official level in order to pursue a strong agenda of colleaboration of areas of mutual interest. In this regard, my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (4 Mar 2021)

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. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the terms and conditions of funding, including those relating to residency, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for SUSI to determine. For...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Following legal advice, Scotland found it necessary to introduce fees for Irish students pursuing their higher education in Scottish universities with effect from the 2021/ 2022 academic year. This means that they will be treated as home students, in terms of paying fees at UK home rates, unlike students from the rest of the EU, who will be charged the higher international rate. Therefore,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Working Group was established in March 2017. The key objective of this group was to develop a plan to develop a sustainable future for the Mayo Campus arising from concerns about the financial viability of the campus. The Governing Authority of GMIT in consultation with the HEA have responsibility for the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that this is a time of considerable stress and concern for third level students and the challenging and stressful circumstances that students are facing are being taken into account by Higher Education institutions as they adapt and respond to the changing situation. This includes the consideration of issues around work placements for students. The national co-ordination group...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, and in response to the shift to online and blended learning, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science allocated €15m to higher and further education and training providers for a grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This has...

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements (10 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I am delighted to be here today again addressing Dáil Éireann on the work of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. We have been working very hard in recent months to establish a new Department. Indeed, the Department was only formally set up in law last August and we have tried to pursue an ambitious agenda of work since then. I believe...

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements (10 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for the constructive questions and points. Let me be clear at the outset: nobody believes students are commodities and nobody has a monopoly of concern for them. In the past two weeks, I have been meeting virtually with students in Cavan, Longford and in Donegal, with six student unions and in the Deputy's constituency in Ballinrobe. The Deputy is right that it...

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements (10 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cullinane. I thank him for coming to the meeting earlier and I genuinely thank him for not playing politics with this issue and for being constructive on it. I hope it sends a message to the people of the south east, when he and I are agreeing with such enthusiasm on an issue, that we see the real significance of this to the south east. This is a game changer for the south...

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements (10 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, to expand on the apprenticeships but on the water and drainage systems, the Deputy has highlighted a very important issue. I would be very happy to meet some people from that sector with the Deputy and SOLAS over the next couple of weeks to see if we can make progress.

Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements (10 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I will start with Deputy Ó Cathasaigh's question because it is time-sensitive. I want to acknowledge what the Deputy has acknowledged, but the last time TUI members were balloted on this matter, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of this project. That shows their commitment and the scale of their ambition. I would add that the only thing that has happened between 2019 and now is that...