Results 35,801-35,820 of 46,522 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (31 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. Student grant legislation was amended in 2020 to retain the status quo for students attending courses in the UK...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (31 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students. All students eligible for the scheme receive state support whereby the Exchequer pays the cost of tuition fees exclusive of the student contribution. The contribution applies annually to all FFI eligible studentsand the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs including dealing with policy and procedure in relation to fee collection. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: The Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) was introduced as part of a series of reforms to the student immigration system for international education in line with the Government decision of 19 May 2015. These reforms have been designed to: - tackle abuse of the immigration regime, - tackle abuse of the labour market, - improve the overall quality of offering to international students, -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the attached spreadsheet. The data given is from the 2019/20 academic year, the latest available. The data on the year of study is taken as given by the Higher Education Institutions in their statistical returns to the HEA. In some instances HEIs categorise postgraduate students as being in their fifth or sixth year of study, while in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department and therefore cannot be provided. There are a number of external constraints which may place limits on the number of students that a HEI can enroll in a given course. In a course where a clinical or other work placement forms a necessary part of the learning experience, the capacity to provide such placements may limit the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department is aware of the issue referred to by the Deputy. The matter is currently under consideration by my officials with a view to addressing the issues involved. Separately, my Department has committed to a review of the decision-making process in relation to the examination of previous complaints on governance issues at the institution. The process of compiling the records in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: As, the Deputy is aware, my Department was established in June 2020. I have attached a breakdown of the higher executive officers, administration officers, assistant principal officers, principal officers and assistant secretaries in my Department by gender, please see the attached table. However, we are continuing to engage with colleagues in Government regarding an additional Assistant...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: In October 2020, my Department provided the Department of Health with a list of Further Education and Training, Higher Education public and HECA member institutions, addresses and contact numbers. Data in respect of the number of students in full time higher education institution-owned accommodation, with a breakdown of figures by institution was also provided in October 2020. No other data...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: General Data Protection Regulation (1 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: As you are aware, my Department was established in June 2020. I have attached a spreadsheet which shows details of the number of complaints that were received from members of the public under the heading of GDPR and data information requests since 2018 to date in 2021, the number of data information requests that have been refused and accepted, respectively and the number of GDPR requests...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1261, 1262 and 1351 together. The support and wellbeing of our students is one of my priorities. Student services and associated activities are an integral part of the whole student experience at third level, and these services generally fall under a number of headings, particularly ‘Welfare and Guidance’ which includes counselling...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: For 2020/21 The normal CAO offer process ended in October 2020, therefore I take it the Deputy is referring to: - first time undergraduate students who sat Leaving Certificate Examinations in November 2020; - having started a course of higher education study in 2020 based on the calculated grades from Leaving Certificate 2020, and - the student subsequently receives an uplifted deferred...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: I am aware of the high number of CAO applications this year, and officials from my Department are engaging regularly with representatives from the higher education sector in relation to the 2021/22 academic year and demand for places. €18 million has been provided in Budget 2021 to deliver new undergraduate student places from September 2021 which will address demographic growth...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (21 Apr 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 statutory based Student Grant Scheme and Regulations are reviewed annually by the Department, following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme, which offers reduced points places to school leavers who as a result of having a disability have experienced additional educational challenges in second level education, is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) www.iua.ie. The IUA set the policy criteria for the scheme. Applications to the scheme are submitted to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students, financial assistance will be provided in academic year 20/21 to all students who avail of SUSI grants and to all EU full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending publicly funded Higher Education Institutions in the state. The scheme will ensure students; - Who avail of the SUSI grant will receive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1268 and 1269 together. In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students, financial assistance will be provided in academic year 20/21 to all students who avail of SUSI grants and to all EU full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending publicly funded Higher Education Institutions in the state. The scheme will ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: It has been a significant priority for me and my Department, in the context of the shift to online teaching and learning that has arisen from the public health restrictions, to provide support to students to facilitate connectivity and to examine options designed to seek to minimise the extent to which connectivity challenges act as a barrier to full participation in higher and further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1271, 1291, 1303, 1312, 1323, 1324, 1350 and 1355 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (21 Apr 2021)

Simon Harris: Ireland is committed to the principle of Open Access to publicly funded research. Open Access enables the free flow of information across national and international research communities, supports research-enabled teaching and learning, citizen science and open innovation, and fosters greater transparency, accountability, and public awareness of research results. As stated in the 2019 National...