Results 38,721-38,740 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Correct.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Senator makes a valid point. I am thinking of our experience where we rolled out training around consent and taking a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment. As a result of putting a real laser focus on that there has been a massive increase in staff going for training. I think the Senator is right. Under the new HEA Bill, which will hopefully become the HEA Act in autumn, it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Ellis. Yes, for the first time, people with intellectual disabilities will be there as a priority group. We obviously will be working with the National Disability Authority, as the Deputy rightly said, around definitions and accuracy around this. I have in front of me figures from a document the National Disability Authority, which, by the way, does incredible work, gave to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Cairns for her questions. I will take them in sequence. The issue of people leaving before completion or dropping out of education is key. I am being very blunt about this. It is flattering the targets and our reporting against them. We are, objectively, making progress on progress on access, albeit that the figures are not as high as they need to be. However, we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: That is an important thing to push for and we all share a view on the need to move on that. We are moving on it. We decided not to wait for the budget to put in place money for PATH 4 to support students in colleges in September. All students who are starting or returning to college, as well as all students, including students with a disability, will see the benefit of the universal design...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Seery Kearney for her contribution and her work in this area. There is quite a lot in it so let me delve in. The Senator is beyond right in regard to the whole issue of outcomes and output. This is probably more generally across the public service but we have to stop measuring just what we are putting in and start measuring what comes out the other side. I am talking about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes, that is exactly right. We are at the table, as are all the other relevant Departments and the anchor for that discussion now is the Indecon report around the cost of disability and how we respond to that. Deputy Rabbitte will deliver the Government's response but we are all feeding into it. In regard to part time courses, it is important that the Senator provided a balance to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I think that is right. The good news is we are not starting from scratch on this. I was at Longford Women’s Link recently, which is a superb organisation. In rural County Longford, I met women completing degree programmes entirely remotely, but Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, accredited and the likes with, I think, the South East Technological University and possibly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Rigorous.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for following me around and for her contribution. They are all very valid and serious issues she raised. First, I was going to make the point that Catherine’s Law was an example. The Deputy knows Catherine Gallagher and I have met her as well when I went to pay tribute to her. It is an example of how joined-up thinking and a bit of common sense is needed and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Senator was not rambling. She was very cogent on a lot of issues. I thank the Senator for her work with the Minster of State, Deputy Niall Collins, and with me in highlighting the need for the programme for access to higher education, PATH. I acknowledge the Senator's own experience and advocacy around Down's syndrome. It was a good example of how we were able to take an issue,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chair and this committee for its work. It is a very valuable addition to the work of the Oireachtas. From my own perspective and that of my Department we do not see this as a once-off engagement. We will publish the national access plan. That is a higher education document but we will be publishing it shortly. I imagine the committee will want to be kept informed on that and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Senator is right about funding for staff and student training around awareness. The committee identified it as an area that needs real acceleration. From September, under the funding I referred to earlier, PATH 4, every college in Ireland will get an allocation for universal design. It is up to them what they do with it because they are autonomous. There is a list of things they can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Education Policy (14 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague for raising this important matter, not only today in Seanad Éireann but also almost daily. I am aware of his genuine, deep commitment to and understanding of the importance of a university for Waterford in the south east in terms of educational access, economic investment, balanced regional development and ensuring Waterford can harness and reach its incredible full...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Education Policy (14 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Cummins. It is worthwhile to outline the progress that has been made with the campus expansion because sometimes that can be overlooked. Five steps have had to be gone through. The first step involved a recognition by myself, by my Department and by the Government, in agreeing with the position of the Senator and other Oireachtas colleagues, that we needed to expand the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (14 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: A phased return to physical attendance in the workplace commenced for staff members in my Department following the easing of Government restrictions earlier this year. The majority of staff of my Department are currently attending the office for a minimum of two days per week and working remotely for the remaining days. Following the publication of the Blended Working Policy Framework for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 413 to 416, inclusive, together. The information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by SUSI, who are the awarding authority. I have arranged for officials from my Department to forward the information directly to the Deputy's office once it is received from SUSI.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (14 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: On 5 September, in advance of the budget, I published, for the first time, a costs of education paper which will set out the possible policy options, and their indicative costs, to aid public discussion on how we should prioritise any interventions to address costs of education. The paper “Funding the Future, an annual options paper on reducing the cost of higher education can be found...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (14 Sep 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to students pursuing 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. I have been advised by my officials that the student outlined by the Deputy registered onto a course in the...