Results 2,501-2,520 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: My Department's offices are spread across three locations, Stephen's Green, Marlborough St and Tullamore. The Office of Public Works sources and funds the Accommodation for each of these properties. The information in respect of aegis bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached...

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

Simon Harris: I recently received Government approval for an overarching policy approach for student accommodation in Ireland. This policy looks at a number of ways to stimulate supply of student accommodation, including standardised design, continued promotion of the rent-a-room scheme and recognition of the Government's commitment to reactivating vacant and derelict properties. My officials are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: The information requested by Deputy McAuliffe 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 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: Apprenticeship Programmes (5 Mar 2024)

Simon Harris: Recognising that cost is a barrier to education, one of this Department’s priorities is to ensure students and their families can benefit from financial support to help with the cost of third level education, including apprenticeship. Access to Apprenticeship One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All”,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (29 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies; responsible for assessing student applications and determining the tuition fee payable by individual students. In this regard, as the Deputy will appreciate, it is not possible for my Department to offer guidance on the fee arrangements that may apply for individual students, such as those that may apply in the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht (Atógáil) - Questions on Policy or Legislation (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I will certainly take up Deputy Daly's issue on the need for emergency accommodation in Kerry and his suggestion with the Minister for housing to revert to him directly on the matter. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to look into the staffing of the CAMHS team and to respond to Deputy Mythen directly. Deputy O'Dowd asked about the judgment in Belfast. I am aware of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: When a Government delivers a budget, it is important that there is a consistency and certainty of approach throughout the year. The Government unveiled a significant package of measures to assist with the cost-of-living crisis in respect of workers, families, children, older people and businesses. We continue to explore how we can help with various interventions but we have no current plans...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: The Government and the Minister for children take this issue of any non-compliance with Garda vetting requirements by commissioned services extraordinarily seriously. I referred earlier to this issue raised by the Deputy. Tusla now has an internal compliance unit in place to do exactly as the Deputy suggested concerning examining and stress-testing evidence from providers of special...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: It was the internal compliance unit of Tusla itself that detected this issue. The organisation immediately ceased using the service and reported the matter to An Garda Síochána-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: -----and an investigation is ongoing.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht (Atógáil) - Questions on Policy or Legislation (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Clarke very much for raising this important issue. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, is extraordinarily committed to adopting a zero-tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. As the Deputy may know, as recently as last week we saw the establishment of Cuan, the new national agency to co-ordinate these efforts. I thank the people undertaking the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht (Atógáil) - Questions on Policy or Legislation (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Shanahan for raising this issue. The PPP bundle 2 is currently at the tender stage. It is awaiting final tender. As soon as this is in, the Government will make a decision shortly thereafter. Regarding the strategic plan, I am in constant contact with Professor Campbell about it. I very much appreciate, support and endorse the contents of the plan. As I think the Deputy...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I know the Deputy well enough to know she does not like wiffle waffle. I do not know the answer to her question but I will take it back directly to the Taoiseach to point out that she raised the matter and to see where the status is.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am pleased to say Sligo has led the way in the provision of part-time education at what was IT Sligo and is now ATU Sligo. It has a very proud record. Up until now, students have had to pay significant fees to access part-time education. That simply does not make sense when we are trying the help people who are in work to upskill or help people...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I remember when Deputy Leddin and I opened that centre together. It has been a key part of the infrastructure. We now have a number of centres of excellence throughout the country. In fact, the question we used to get asked was whether we would have enough capacity in the education system to help people get retrofitting skills. The question now is different. It is now about whether we...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Andrews for raising this issue on behalf of his constituents in Ringsend and Irishtown. The Government is extraordinarily committed to the delivery of social and affordable houses. That can be seen with the significant increases year on year in both, in addition to housing supply overall. On the specifics around the glass bottle site and some of the suggestions and proposals...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: That is high praise from the Deputy; I thank him. I am pleased to be a friend of County Kerry. I thank the Deputy for all his time in bringing me around many educational facilities there. I am delighted to say we have now received a proposal from Kerry ETB, through SOLAS, to rejuvenate and regenerate the old Pretty Polly site and turn it into a state-of-the-art further education college,...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I know how stressful an issue it can be for the parent of an autistic child. We have put a lot of investment and effort into opening new autism classes throughout the county. On County Laois specifically, where there clearly seems to be a challenge, I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to look into the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (28 Feb 2024)

Simon Harris: The Deputy has piqued my interest. I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this important matter. The issue is ownership of the pier, but people in the community just want to see action. On foot of the Deputy suggesting the need for a fund for local authority-owned piers and harbours, I will ask Ministers Darragh O'Brien and McConalogue to consider his suggestion and revert to him.