Results 2,481-2,500 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I have no doubt the Deputy believes what he is proposing is better than what is in the Bill. I will explain why I think what I am proposing is better. I hope he will accept my first point. This is the first time in the history of the State that we are placing arts and humanities research on a statutory footing. The Irish Research Council, which has done absolutely incredible work, does...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: As professionals.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Absolutely. I am differentiating between the word “professionals” and “employees”, but I do not mean to interrupt.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: As do I.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: On this issue, I very much agree with Deputy Sherlock and how he put it. That is the balance we are trying to get right. What is appropriate to belong within the legal remit of a research agency? What is appropriate to belong with independent autonomous higher education institutions? To be very clear on the European question, which I want to come back to again, we should not allow the...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that.

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I certainly would not answer for the Deputy. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle suggested, I want to return very briefly to the point Deputy Sherlock made in the last grouping which also brings us very much into this grouping. I want be very clear that the advertisements in the booklet regarding appointments to the board of Research and Innovation Ireland gave the closing date as 3 p.m. on...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: To be very clear, and again we teased through this on Committee Stage, which the transcripts will show, it is absolutely the intention that there will be researcher input into the work of the new agency. That is beyond question. There are structures within the legislation, including what would effectively operate as a subcommittee of the board, which will be overwhelmingly dominated by...

Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for tabling the amendments. A number of the issues he raised are ones I genuinely view as extremely important. I will very shortly publish the final report of the independent external review on researchers, supports, career structures and other issues. I intend to do that this month. The Deputy will remember that we published phase 1 just before the budget and we will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (6 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233, 234 and 235 together. Redundancy or severance payments in the Civil Service generally arise with respect to specific categories of employees, as determined by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) and approved by Government. My Department was established in August 2020. Accordingly, there are no...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: It has been mainly people outside the House.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the table below. The data was sourced from the HEA Student Records System. The table shows the proportion of enrolments in the Royal College of Surgeons by their domicile group for the most recent five years available. There has been substantial additionality in healthcare and medicine programmes for Irish and EU students. Along with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Since the introduction of the Disability Act in 2005, building regulations have been updated with Universal Design in mind and a more comprehensive technical guidance document is now in place. ‘Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use’, or TGD Part M which came into force on 1st January 2012 describes the minimum guidance to illustrate compliance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Under Section 25 of Disability Act 2005, public bodies must ensure that public buildings are accessible "as far as practicable" to persons with disabilities. This requirement is outlined in part M of the Building Regulations Act, and public buildings must abide by any amendment made to part M within 10 years of that amendment. All capital projects including new construction, material...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The information requested by Deputy Cairns is presently being collated by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: In November 2022, I appointed Dr Andrea Johnson and Mr David Cagney to undertake an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers. This is the first time that State supports for PhD students have been considered holistically in this manner. During their exercise they met with over 35 stakeholder organisations, one of which was the PWO, and they received over 750 online...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: UCC is an autonomous body established under statute. As an autonomous body, it is a matter for UCC to prioritise its capital projects accordingly and the expenditure of the University’s income (public and private) is a matter for the individual institution and this includes responsibility for ensuring appropriate policies and procedures are in place to oversee the use of its resources....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, progression, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: An Teanga Gaeilge (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 802 and 803 together. Leithdháileann mo Roinn maoiniú athfhillteach ar an Údarás um Ard-Oideachas (HEA) le haghaidh eisíocaíochta dírí d’institiúidí ardoideachais an HEA. Leithdháileann HEA é sin mar bhlocdheontas d’institiúidí ardoideachais chun tacú le costais phá...