Results 37,661-37,680 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Equality (31 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The majority of recruitment to my Department is from the Public Appointments Service (PAS) which is the centralised provider of recruitment, assessment and selection services across the Civil Service. All recruitment activities by the PAS are underpinned by their Equality, Inclusion and Diversity strategy 2021-2023 which identifies the key strategic priorities of greater knowledge and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Transport Policy (31 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has a number of initiatives in place to encourage and facilitate employees to use active travel to commute to work. Such initiatives include: Cycle to Work scheme:The Cycle to Work scheme is a tax incentive scheme to encourage staff to cycle to work and is in operation in my Department. Travel pass scheme:The travel pass scheme for public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (31 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: A number of local authorities throughout the country employ apprentices, with around 50 apprentices currently employed by these bodies. The majority of the apprentices are employed in craft trades such as plumbing, carpentry and joinery, and electrical. A number are also employed in consortia programmes such as accounting technician and cyber security. A key commitment of the ‘Action...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (31 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am informed by the HEA that there is extensive engagement between Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and DEIS schools. In an analysis carried out by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) 98% of post-primary DEIS schools had links or engagement with a HEI. The particular issue raised by the Deputy is not one that I am aware of. Where a DEIS school wishes to establish links or a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Records (31 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Based on the information supplied, a search of my Department's record holdings has been carried out. No records have been found which match the details provided. If at any stage Ms Rellis or her representatives can provide the Department with further details, the most appropriate avenues for requesting personal information are: - Subject Access Request (SAR): Article 15 of the GDPR gives...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chairman and members for facilitating this session. I know we will try to get through a significant amount of business today, both the motion before us and Committee Stage of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2022. I will, therefore, keep my opening statement short. Today is a significant day for the people of the south east and higher education in the region. We are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Conway-Walsh and Ó Cathasaigh and the Chairman. I wish to acknowledge - I have never had cause to do so previously - Deputy Cullinane, who has been very active and helpful in the context of this project. The points made in respect of resources and leadership are valid and important. I can come back to the committee for a discussion on resources for technological...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I agree with you, Chairman. I know Senator Malcolm Byrne could not be here, but it is only fair to acknowledge the role he played in chairing the cross-party groups. I wanted to say that in his absence. One of the keys to success when we got stuck at various moments was the fact that most people did not play politics with this issue - no political party did - and I wish to acknowledge...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am getting the trickiest questions at the end. I thank Senator Flynn for her work and how it relates to my Department. I assure her there is an open door policy in my Department in respect of her work. We want to do whatever we can to learn from the Senator's work on diversity and inclusion. I found her recent address to the Dáil inspiring in regard to these issues and we are eager...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: On the Seanad, I will get into all sorts of trouble no matter what answer I give. My starting principle is that I do not believe the franchise for either House should be linked to university qualifications. I cannot speak for the Government on this matter, but that is my view. How can I tell? We talk about apprenticeships and an apprenticeship is a third-level qualification. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) (No. 2) Order 2022: Motion (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: -----that did address as an interim measure, and I think this is the nub of the Senator's question, the extension of the franchise to graduates of other higher education institutions. That sounds like a sensible short-term step to me, but I will get a more substantive response for Senator Flynn because policy responsibility for this area, to the best of my knowledge, lies with the Department...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I should flag that I am considering an amendment to section 1 for Report Stage. It does not relate to this matter, but I believe I am meant to put on record that section 1 is proposed to be revised in regard to collective citations. It is largely a technical matter but this legislation is dealing with the Universities Act, the Technological Universities Act, the Institutes of Technology...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for tabling amendments Nos. 2, 4 and 94. I will deal with the two issues they relate to. I will deal with the matter of the "relevant body" in a constructive fashion and I suggest that if we need to tease through it more on Report Stage, we can do so. I am informed that the term "relevant body" is already defined in section 36(7) of the Bill in the same manner as the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I very much see the Deputy's intention. I accept her bona fides on this and I am not trying to be argumentative about it. One of the purposes of the Bill, however, is to provide a pathway to become a designated institution for institutions that are not currently designated as such. We could pick a number of examples throughout the country. What if a private college wished to become a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: That is not our intention.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (24 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Ó Cathasaigh and Ó Ríordáin for proposing the amendments to this section, which are amendments Nos. 3, 9, 123, and 124. The short answer is I am happy to work with the Deputies between now and Report Stage to see how we can strengthen the legislation in respect of this matter. As is often the case on Committee Stage, we can highlight all of the reasons...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: SUSI’s online application process for renewal student grant applications for the 2022/23 academic year opened on 10th March, 2022. New applications will be accepted by SUSI from April 28th, 2022. As part of Budget 2022, I have secured an additional €15m to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme for implementation in 2022. For the academic year...