Results 37,421-37,440 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (16 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: The WWETB National NZEB Training Centre is the first facility in Europe to offer a suite of trade-specific NZEB courses. On-site retrofit programmes are currently provided in Waterford Wexford ETB and Laois Offaly ETB including through Mount Lucas National Construction Training Centre.  These training courses introduce participants to the legislative concepts required to meet the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (16 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together. There are a range of options for people who wish to train in retrofitting. There are short term courses for those who are involved in the construction industry and longer courses for those who are not, The majority of courses are three days in duration. This is a blended model with two days online and one day in the training centre. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Staff (16 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that neither the Minister of State nor I have the services of Garda ministerial drivers. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Feb 2022)

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.  The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. With regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: The Action Plan for Apprenticeship (2021 – 2025) released by my department last year sets out a 5 year strategy towards delivering an apprenticeship system which provides enhanced responsiveness to skills delivery and an improved experience for employers and learners. The development and promotion of apprenticeship is a significant Government priority in responding to key skill needs...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by 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. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the centralised student grant awarding authority...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (17 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I am very conscious of the difficulties that students, like so many others in society, face as a result of the increased costs of living.  For students and their families this includes not just costs such as accommodation and food but also education-specific costs such as the student contribution.  I have monthly meetings with the USI and regular engagement with students across...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: COVID-19, as elsewhere, caused major disruption to all activities at our higher education institutions (HEIs). This includes their research activities. In 2020 the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (D/FHERIS), secured a package of €168m to address the impact of COVID -19 restrictions on Higher Education. Of the €168m, €48m was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 592 together. There are three routes to training as a paramedic in Ireland - recruitment by the National Ambulance Service, recruitment by the fire brigade or entry into the University of Limerick's B.Sc in Paramedic Studies. The number of entrants accepted by the NAS and fire brigade is a matter for those organisations, in line with their recruitment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 596 together. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) provided the following information to assist the Deputy with her query.  Cost to the Exchequer The HEA has a Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM) which allocates core recurrent funding to institutions. The allocation of the core grant is determined on a formula basis – based on a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: There are a range of qualifications offered in the field of emergency medical science across a number of different levels of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).  These qualifications can be found on the Irish Register of Qualifications (IRQ) which is an online resource maintained by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) that provides a comprehensive and authoritative list...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 594 and 595 together. The information requested by the Deputy on pharmacy entrants and graduates is in the table below. Year 1st Year Enrolments Graduates 2010/2011 173 160 2011/2012 191 161 2012/2013 186 140 2013/2014 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 597 and 598 together. The Pharmacy Act 2007 conferred responsibility on the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the pharmacy regulator, with respect to pharmacy education and training. The PSI is an independent statutory body and is responsible for defining and ensuring the standards of education and training for pharmacists qualifying in Ireland....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Tests (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 600 together. In 2020 and 2021 the Government provided additional funding to mitigate against the direct impacts of Covid-19 and support the return of students to further and higher education for the academic years 20/21 and 2021/22. For Technological University Dublin (TUD) additional funding from within these financial supports was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: Apprenticeships are employer led demand driven educational and training programmes, which aim to develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the needs of industry and the labour market.  As apprentices are employees, the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by the employers in any area or sector.  The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 – 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: Following the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in August 2020, 122 officials transferred on foot of the transfer of further and higher education functions from the Department of Education. There are currently 200 officials in total assigned to this Department.  This figure includes staff transferred from other Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, craft and general construction workers, persons undertaking on-site security work and persons or classes of persons as may be prescribed by the relevant Minister are required to hold a safety awareness registration card (Safe Pass card).  SafePass training and assessment delivery has mirrored...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: The data requested by the Deputy is not yet available for the 2021/22 academic year. My Department's key source of enrolment statistics is the HEA's Student Records System (SRS). The census date for the collection of the Student Record System data is the 1st of March of the academic year, and therefore the enrolment statistics for 21/22 have not not been collected. The data for the 2021/22...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: For the years in question, the Fottrell Report provided the basis on which the level of provision in medical schools is determined. It specifies that an intake of between 700 and 740 EU students per annum is required to move towards national self-sufficiency. This target marked a more than doubling of the number of EU students who were accepted in to medical schools at the time the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (22 Feb 2022)

Simon Harris: I recognise the critical importance of having a strong pipeline of healthcare graduates, and my Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services.  The Programme for Government commits...