Results 42,481-42,500 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: -----a policy decision for the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I am not aware of any outstanding work from Eurostat.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: There is currently no proposal from the Government as to moving their borrowing off balance sheet. The question is whether we will allow them to access the State's borrowing framework.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: That is our question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: Yes, that is right. A number of mechanisms have now been made available to universities through such bodies as the Housing Finance Agency and the European Investment Bank.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy may be aware of them but sometimes people following proceedings at home might not be as aware as the Deputy is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I am sure it is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I am very clear that we are not planning any Eurostat review on this issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: There is no proposal for a review by Eurostat or the CSO. The issue now is a policy matter for the Government as to how it wishes our technological universities to access resources to build student accommodation. One way could be to allow them access to the borrowing framework. That had been the traditional way the technological universities were expecting to go. At a very useful meeting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: It is a fair question but what we are trying to get them to do by the end of March is to flesh out the projects that are there and to let us know what they believe they can do. Many of them have quite detailed plans.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: If they do not, we will certainly work with them, but my sense is that we will be getting a flurry of applications and interest, rather than a dearth.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: If some cannot make it for March and want to come back to us later, that is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: I do indeed. I am delighted to praise the University of Galway, which the Senator mentioned a number of times. When others felt the need to mothball student accommodation projects, Galway ploughed on. Fair enough, the students union has views on how it could be done better, but great credit is due to the management team and governing authority for ploughing on and delivering 674 more beds...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: It is also working for many families and people living on their own. This week, the Government removed another potential barrier around medical card eligibility. That was important, as people should not fear losing their medical cards if they are renting out a room in their house to help us with housing supply and to provide shelter to people. I welcome that. The Senator mentioned two...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Official Travel (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: A tabular statement of the Minister's official trips is attached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - Horizon Europe is the European Union’s largest research and innovation programme, with a budget of €95.5 billion over its seven-year lifetime from 2021 to 2027. The Horizon Europe programme encompasses all European Member States as well as 18 Associated Countries from around the world. Israel signed a Horizon Europe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: As Minister I have ensured an unrelenting focus on growing participation in apprenticeships. Underpinned by the measures in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship, the impact is very clear and positive, with significant growth of apprenticeship over the past number of years. Since 2021, over 27,000 people have registered as apprentices. Craft apprenticeship registrations for 2021- 2023 were...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, the main support available to assist students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved full-time course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (23 Jan 2024)

Simon Harris: My Department shares data with other organisations for varied purposes such as compliance with employee tax obligations, in connection with legal proceedings, awarding of bursaries/scholarships and audit purposes. The transfer of data may be in aggregated form or on an individual basis depending on the specific purpose in question. For example, the data of Department employees is shared on an...