Results 38,181-38,200 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Following a call for proposals under the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund, I understand that a Strategic Assessment Report in relation to the Cavan Institute proposal has now been submitted by Cavan Monaghan ETB to SOLAS. The Deputy will be aware that it was agreed that the Cavan Institute project, previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department is currently working with Solas on examining the demand for construction workers between now and 2030. I expect to be in a position to bring that report to Cabinet shortly. However, it does set out the need for a significant increase in the number of people needed to help us build 33,000 homes every year. Apprenticeship is a key way to do that but it is not the only way. On...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department. My ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of persons on low income and those with special and additional needs. A range of supports and measures are in place for students attending higher education including for learners with disabilities; some...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship more accessible to employers and learners, to achieve a target of 10,000 annual registrations across a wide range of programmes by 2025. Expansion to date has widened the impact of apprenticeship to areas of skills shortage such as engineering,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The backdrop to current wait-lists for essential practical training for apprentices is the extended shutdown of on-site learning activity from March 2020.The closure of education and training facilities in response to the Covid pandemic precluded access to to off-the-job training. The very welcome growth in registrations has compounded pressures on the apprenticeship system to which the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the existing 65 apprenticeship programmes. Given the practical nature of off-the-job training for craft apprentices, the COVID-related shutdown of on-site learning activity over the last two years had a significant impact on the ability of apprentices to access off-the-job training. The other apprenticeships have not been delayed but may have had...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified healthcare professionals is a key priority. The staff required by a children's disability network team (CDNT) require a wide range of expertise in a number of clinical and other areas including, but not limited to physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, social work and community nursing. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department does not produce projections of enrolment on an individual course basis, and therefore the number of occupational therapists expected to graduate this year is not available. Graduate numbers for 2020, the latest year available, are below and numbers for this year would be expected to be similar. These figures are as reported on the HEA's student records system (SRS). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: On 4th May I launched the Funding the Future framework which includes the Government's policy response to the Cassells and DG Reform Reviews on the future of higher education and which sets out my intention to implement a progressive range of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, in the context of overall Budgetary decision-making. I am very conscious of the difficulties...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and as such the management of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department was established in August 2020 and commenced moving headquarters into existing State-owned office space in September 2021. I can also confirm that my Department currently has no cleaning or sanitising costs related to the roofs of the building under our control. Building works have been ongoing since our move into my Departmental HQ and as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322, 323 and 330 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: On 4thMay I launched the Funding the Future framework which includes the Government's policy response to the Cassells and DG Reform Reviews on the future of higher education and which sets out my intention to implement a progressive range of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, in the context of overall Budgetary decision-making. The policy sets out the vision and direction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (24 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The main support available to assist postgraduate students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. 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. I understand from SUSI the student was informed in November of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (24 May 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: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Bundle 2 of the Higher Education Public Private Partnership programme, comprising five projects, is currently at tender (competitive dialogue) stage. Construction price inflation and volatility in the construction market is presenting challenges, however, the procuring authority comprising of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science, the National...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (24 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Bundle 1 of the Higher Education Public Private Partnership Programme, comprising six projects, is currently at preferred tenderer stage. A Preferred Tenderer has been appointed and the technical and commercial work streams are currently ongoing. It is currently estimated that the programme will achieve financial close in Q3 2022 with construction activities commencing on all six sites...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (24 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme was established by lead industry stakeholders such as the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland. It is a two year program and successful apprentices become a fully qualified Commis chef, with a QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Culinary Arts The numbers registered for the programme from 2017 to this year are as follows: -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I understand my officials have sought clarifications from the Deputy on the question asked and are awaiting a response. Once clarifications have been received, we will be able to provide the requested information.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I understand my officials have sought clarifications from the Deputy on the question asked and are awaiting a response. Once clarifications have been received, we will be able to provide the requested information.