Results 39,321-39,340 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I was delighted to visit Kerry Education and Training Board (KETB) last week to announce that they are one of ten projects approved to proceed to the next stage of proposal development around the country for capital investment under the Further Education and Training (FET) College of the Future. KETB’s proposal is to repurpose an existing factory site into a state-of-the-art campus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) submitted an application under the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund, to build new, centralised accommodation for Cavan Institute. It was agreed that this application, which was previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be advanced through this new FET capital funding programme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Technological Universities Act 2018 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. Under this legislation the institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes, including the mode of delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education. Students pursuing Graduate Entry Medicine programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. The total level of fees charged to graduate entry medicine students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Erasmus Grant Agreement letters are currently being finalised with the Higher Education Institutions, my officials have been advised by the Higher Education Authority that it is not possible to give an indication of any mobility uptake for the 2022/ 2023 academic year. However, I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: It is a key priority of my Department to ensure that all learners have access to the right courses for them, across the spectrum of provision in Tertiary Education. Additional capacity has been created in higher education programmes- in June I announces over one thousand additional places from September 2022. Part of the transitions reform agenda aimed to provide a broader experience for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue of which Government and I are actively pursuing. We are committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation for priority group students attending publicly funded higher education institutions in Ireland. Fundamentally the challenge is one of supply of housing more generally. As a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Ensuring a supply of qualified Vets to meet the demands of the sector is a priority for my Department. Workforce planning requirements for the veterinary medicine sector requires advice from and consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Veterinary Council of Ireland, as the regulators of the profession. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has recently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed to ensuring that the education and training system is appropriately positioned to support the growth and development of the skills required the move to Zero Carbon.Ireland has an advanced system of skills provision, across Further and Higher Education, lifelong learning and human capital development, which is agile and responsive to changes in the world of work, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I very much recognise the heavy demands on families from outgoings of all kinds and the many unavoidable costs of living, including medical costs. What is very important in any scheme which involves means assessment is that it is as fair as possible to all applicants. The assessment of means under the Student Grant Scheme is based on gross income from all sources before the deduction of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’ sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship accessible to employers and learners. The Plan seeks to deliver on a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum, across a wide range of programmes, by 2025. We have been working to improve the visibility of apprenticeships...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 302, 303 and 304 together. My Department is committed to engaging with all Departments and industry representative bodies to support them in their workforce planning needs. Ensuring we have qualified graduates to meet the skills needs of our workforce is a priority for my Department. Our higher education system has expanded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I intend to bring a Memorandum for Government to Cabinet as soon as possible in relation to the OECD Review of technological university academic career paths, contracts and organisation that was commissioned by the Higher Education Authority last year. In so doing I will also be proposing to my Cabinet colleagues a set of implementing measures arising from my Department's scrutiny of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for her question on this matter. The Consent Hub is a public resource on consent for young people, their families, and educators who work with them. The targeted website sections provide user groups with concise, accurate information relevant to their needs that is designed to be empowering and positive. Users can then learn about further training opportunities. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue of which Government and I are actively pursuing. We are committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation for priority group students attending publicly funded higher education institutions in Ireland. Fundamentally the challenge is one of supply of housing more generally. As a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The mental health and well-being of students is a priority for my Department. My Department has progressed a number of initiatives, in partnership with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), over the last number of years to address the mental health and well-being issues faced by students in higher education. My Department allocates funding for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue of which Government and I are actively pursuing. We are committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation for priority group students attending higher education in Ireland. In response to this issue and to increase supply, I brought proposals to Government on Tuesday setting out...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue of which Government and I are actively pursuing. We are committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation for priority group students attending publicly funded higher education institutions in Ireland. In response to this issue and to increase supply, I brought proposals to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The importance of apprenticeships in society, both now and into the future, has never been more apparent than it is today. 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. Expansion to date has widened the impact of apprenticeship to areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The majority of our statistics on higher education enrolments are drawn from the Student Records System (SRS) of the HEA. The HEA Student Records System (SRS) has been collecting the entry basis of students entering higher education programmes from 2018/2019 academic year. The table below outlines the overall number of first-year new entrants accepted onto undergraduate nursing and law degree...