Results 37,941-37,960 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 200: In page 107, line 23, to delete “(m) and (r)” and substitute “(n) and (u)”. I am considering an additional amendment on Report Stage to the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014 to insert a definition of infrastructure. This proposed additional amendment is at the suggestion of the Department of Public Expenditure...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 201: In page 108, line 3, after “building” to insert “or other”. The amendment is being introduced to enable the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, to procure non-PPP infrastructure on behalf of both my own Department and local authorities, if requested to do so. This allows for the approach already in place for the Department of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 202: In page 108, line 5, after “building” to insert “or other”.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: My answer is as the Deputy suggested, that I will be looking at guidelines, codes or policies that can be issued on the sustainable investment of funds by institutions of higher education. The amendment as currently drafted is too detailed for this legislation. It is envisaged that guidelines, codes and policies will be issued to the designated institutions of higher education under this...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 209: In page 110, to delete lines 12 and 13 and substitute the following: " No. 24 of 1997 Sections 4(2), (3) and (4), 19, 20, 21 and 50 ". Amendment No. 209 is a technical amendment to align the repeal of provisions in the Universities Act 1997. The other provisions being repealed are set out in Schedule 1 of the Bill. Amendment...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I am considering amendments on Report stage to Schedule 4 to list all the consequential amendments of enactments. Work is ongoing on identifying all of the consequential amendments and I want to flag that now.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 214: In page 11, line 19, after “Design Act 1971,” to insert “the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981,”

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (28 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) continue to work closely with Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in relation to the infrastructure required to deliver on the ambitions of the Technological University. WIT has prepared a detailed preliminary business case, in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code, to examine options for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (28 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI. The Student Grant Scheme supports eligible postgraduate students with the cost of attending higher education. Budget 2021 provided for enhanced postgraduate supports from the 2021/22 academic year including the fee grant amount rising from €2,000 to €3,500 and the income...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Transport (28 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science currently has no electric vehicles and/or hybrid vehicles in the allocation of Ministerial vehicles. Minister Harris: Vehicle model: Audi A6, registered in 2019 Minister Collins: Vehicle Model: BMW 520 Touring estate, registered in 2018

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (28 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Reflecting the Irish Government’s commitment to the people of Northern Ireland, work is underway to develop a scheme to allow eligible students from higher education institutions in Northern Ireland to continue participating in Erasmus+ on the basis of temporary registration at Irish higher education institutions. It was planned to put the scheme in place from September 2022, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (28 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme in December 2021 is being investigated and compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (28 Apr 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). Safe Pass training and assessment is delivered by SOLAS Approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (28 Apr 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). Safe Pass training and assessment is delivered by SOLAS Approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1168 and 1179 together. My Department had no involvement in the matter raised by the Deputy. Higher education institutions are academically independent and regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. The Code of Governance for Irish Universities states that ‘The role of the governing authority is governed in particular by Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The funding allocated to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of further and higher education, labour market initiatives including skills, and Irish research and development.  The allocation is provided both directly and through my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Fottrell Report, published in 2006, continues to provide the basis on which the level of provision in medical schools is determined. It specified that an intake of between 700 and 740 EU students per annum was 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: Third Level Costs (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I recognise that cost can be major factor for many people in accessing higher education, and I am committed to delivering on the Programme for Government’s commitments regarding SUSI.  In addition to commissioning a major review of the scheme, I have also prioritised expansion and reform of the scheme in budgetary allocations. I commissioned a major review of the Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: There are no officials from my Department on secondment to organisations in the wider public, private or semi-private sectors whose costs are being met from the Department’s payroll budget. Please note that for administrative purposes, officials on secondment to outside organisations may continue to be paid through the Department’s payroll arrangements with the National Shared...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Officials in my Department are engaging with SOLAS to confirm the exact position in relation to this matter. Further details will be communicated to the Deputy as soon as possible.