Results 37,681-37,700 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: 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 and social care workforce. My officials are currently engaging with the Higher Education Authority and representatives from the higher education sector on the provision of additional places for the coming academic...

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

Simon Harris: The provision of clinical placements is a matter arranged by individual HEIs and the HSE and other healthcare providers. My Department does not have a direct role in the provision of placements. From a nursing and midwifery perspective, there are Local Joint Working Groups (LJWGs) in place across the country aligned to each HEI/University and the associated healthcare partner area. These...

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 to 578, inclusive, together. The costs incurred by a Higher Education Institution in increasing student places on a particular course can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances of the relevant Higher Education Institution. It is therefore not possible to definitively calculate the costs sought. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Staff (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: There are no staff at my Department absent from work on full pay due to suspension or workplace disputes. Contact details for State Bodies within the scope of the Deputy's question are set out in the attached document should the Deputy wish to contact them with this querey. Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Further and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 581 and 589 together. I can confirm my Department has received correspondence from the person(s) detailed and my officials have already been in contact with them regarding continuing their studies in Ireland. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, my Department has received a very large volume of enquiries, from Irish students who were studying in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The further development and mainstreaming of apprenticeship through the creation of a single unified apprenticeship system, as articulated in the 'Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025', has a key role to play in meeting Ireland's skills needs in a manner which presents a valued proposition for apprentices and employers alike. There are currently 64 apprenticeship programmes on offer: 25...

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

Simon Harris: The nationality requirements for the Student Grant Scheme are set out in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 5 of the Student Support Regulations 2022. The candidate's nationality or immigration status in the State determines whether or not she or he meets the nationality requirement outlined in the Act and Regulations, and would be therefore eligible to qualify for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Flexible Work Practices (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Phased return to a physical attendance in the workplace commenced for staff of my department following the easing of Government restrictions on 21 January and staff are currently attending the office for two days per week and working remotely for the remaining days. Following the publication last week of the Blended Working Policy Framework for the Civil Service by the Minister for Public...

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

Simon Harris: I am happy to report that work on finalising the next National Access Plan (NAP) is at an advanced stage. Colleagues will soon be preparing a memo for Government with the intention of publishing the new Plan in the coming months.

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

Simon Harris: I am happy to report that work on the development of the new National Access Plan is at an advanced stage. Following an extensive consultation process, over 122 submissions were received and reviewed from a wide range of stakeholders. It has been suggested in some of the submissions received that people in care and care leavers should be included as a priority group in the next Plan. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (5 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science came into existence in 2020. Prior to the department's establishment the information was managed and published by the Department of Education and is available at www.gov.ie/en/collection/department-of-education-and-skills- expenditure-on-consultancy/. The data in respect of 2021 is being compiled as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 155 together. With the establishment of my Department in October 2020, the Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 451/2020) transferred functions vested in the Minister for Education to me. These functions included those under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: During the 2020/2021 academic year, statistics from the Higher Education Authority show that there were 49,658 students studying at all levels in our publicly funded institutions on a part time basis. The costs of extending the SUSI grant scheme to these part time students would depend on an assessment to see if they meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I am aware of the difficulties faced by students across the country including at the University of Limerick in relation to obtaining affordable accommodation and my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are working closely together to address relevant issues where possible. The final allocation of accommodation by each higher education institution is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 159, 160 and 161 together. The development of a new National Strategy for Research and Innovation is a key commitment in the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan 2021, which sets out the “dual ambition of placing research, development and innovation at the heart of addressing Ireland’s economic and societal challenges, and building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: There are no officially published statistics for 2022 which provide the full information covering expenditure on higher education as a proportion of national income of the type requested by the Deputy. It is therefore not possible to definitively calculate the costs sought. For International comparisons I can advise that the OECD, as part of its Education at a Glance publication,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: At the outset it is important to highlight the very substantial financial support, currently well in excess of half a billion euros, provided by the taxpayer towards tuition fees and the student contribution for students in higher education. This comprises State funding of tuition costs amounting to over €357m for more than 146,000 eligible higher education students in 2020/2021. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Following the establishment of South East Technological University on 01 May 2022, there will be just two stand alone Institutes of Technology remaining on the higher education landscape. Both these Institutes are pursuing separate trajectories to achieve technological university (TU) status and both are receiving Transformation Fund assistance. In addition, Dundalk Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Most apprentices complete part of their off-the-job training in a higher education institution, for which they are required to pay a student contribution. The amount payable is a proportion of the annual student contribution for students attending a full-time course in higher education. Please find attached the annual student contribution charge for each consortia-led apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the total amount spent each year on each form of apprenticeship support since 2006 is being compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.