Results 40,441-40,460 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug and Alcohol Testing (28 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and will contact him again when this is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (28 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is still awaited from the Garda authorities. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Naughten for introducing the amendment and for raising the matter previously with my colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on Committee Stage. I am particularly conscious of the challenges faced by victims in prosecutions for harassment and stalking. The trial process, while respecting the rights of the accused, must absolutely respect the rights of the victim and it must...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I again thank the Deputy. I think everyone in this House can unite behind wanting to reduce the further trauma a victim could face when bringing criminal proceedings to encourage and help people to come forward. Trying to support a victim in the journey through the criminal justice system is very much at the core of our work and at the core of the zero-tolerance strategy towards domestic,...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his amendment and for the passion with which he spoke to the issue. I understand that the period in the amendment relates to the length of an order under section 10(4), which is being referred to as the no-contact order. Where a person is convicted of an offence under the newly amended section, the court may make an order requiring the offender not to communicate with...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I am indicating that we intend to look further at how we can refine the civil and criminal interactions, as we discussed earlier in the Seanad. I do not want to pre-empt those considerations but it is what we intend to do. Everything we are doing with this legislation, in other legislation we are bringing forward and everything we do under the zero tolerance strategy for domestic, sexual...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her question. Increasing the number of people availing of apprenticeships is a key priority for me and my Department. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out the vision for apprenticeships. This includes new ways of structuring, funding and promoting apprenticeships to make them more accessible to employers and, crucially, to learners. To...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: First, we have never had more apprentice registrations than we saw in 2021. Registrations that year were the highest ever. That said, I appreciate the point the Deputy made. We obviously had the global pandemic but we are seeing a very significant acceleration of apprenticeships. The Deputy does not have to take my word for that. She can ask business groups around the country, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I am not reopening another debate on housing but I would just point out that the Housing for All targets were met in the last calendar year. There are precisely 320 public sector apprenticeships as of now, with 100 more planned for this year. If we include the semi-State sector as well, the total is 938 apprenticeships. There are 938 apprentices in the public and semi-State sectors...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Yes, absolutely.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Indeed, that is probably an understatement. A unit has been established within my Department and there is really good engagement going on with both the traditional and the technological universities. We all know the challenges involved. The increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability and as...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The RTB is not under my remit but I will seek that information. It is important to have that information. If I secure that information, I will share it with Deputy Conway-Walsh. From memory I know that my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, issued a circular in regard to ensuring that student accommodation was utilised for that purpose. There is possibly an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: What I have responsibility for is the higher education sector, the actual direct college-owned student accommodation. There is more of that this year than there was last year, which had more than the year before that. There is more now than there was before I entered office. On the purpose-built student accommodation piece, the Deputy’s point about the private market is not an...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising these issues on a regular basis in terms of how we can try to get that education cluster in the north west going. Deputy Pringle may be aware that I spoke at the launch of the North West Tertiary Education Cluster last October. That was an opportunity to meet with and thank the leadership of Atlantic Technological University of Donegal, Donegal ETB, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully agree with the Deputy. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, one of the key areas where we can do a great deal more to embed peace and to try to create economic prosperity, well-being, good jobs and skills is in the cross-Border area. It makes sense, for example, to undertake medical education. Without deviating too much from the question, it makes...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Not to get ahead of myself, but I know from conversations I have had with the UU, ATU, the shared island unit and others that there is strong and exciting pipeline of projects coming from both ATU Letterkenny and UU Derry with respect to things they can do together. These are in the research space and the medical education space, especially. The senior management teams of both ATU Donegal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: This is a tricky question for me because usually when I am asked if I have engaged with another Department I can say I will, but I am currently the Minister for Justice as well so it is a question asking whether have I engaged with myself, which I do regularly.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Gino Kenny and Boyd Barrett for the question. It is an important issue. The quality of our researchers is fundamental to the quality of our research system and its collaboration with partners in industry and policy-makers in both Ireland and abroad. Under pillar 4 of our national research and innovation strategy, Impact 2030, we have committed to ensuring that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I have not been made aware of the issue Deputy Conway-Walsh raised, but I will certainly become aware of it and revert to the Deputy on it. To be clear, the overall policy direction I want to go in is financially to support better our PhD research. The Deputy and I share that view. On what Deputy Kenny said, there are about 11,000 PhD and research masters students in Ireland and about...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: A large body of work has been done by the co-chairs, for which I thank them. They have had meetings with more than 30 stakeholder organisations, including an all-day in-person workshop on 8 March. They have had a public consultation, through which they received approximately 750 written submissions, which indicates the energy behind the approach to change. I expect to receive the report...