Results 3,301-3,320 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2024 (18 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that the 2024 Budget sees an investment of an additional €239 million for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science. This brings my Department’s allocation to over €4 billion in 2024. With this significant new investment, I will be able to fund a number of major priorities for this Government. A Cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Skillnet Ireland is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Article 26 of Skillnet Ireland’s Articles of Association provide for its Board of Directors to comprise 13 members including:One nominee of IBEC who will act as the chairperson.Six employer/business representatives comprising:three nominees from IBEC;one nominee from the Small Firms Association;one nominee from the Construction...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006, and the Technological Universities Act 2018. As such they are autonomous in relation to their admission decisions. I have no role or remit in this regard If a student receives an upgrade and the revised result places them higher on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Process (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The Construction Safety Licensing Bill 2023 will provide for a new and comprehensive framework for the licensing of certain construction and quarrying activities in Ireland. The Bill is progressing through the legislative process. It was initiated in the Dáil in March 2023 and has progressed through Second Stage and Committee Stage in the Dáil. The next step will be to prepare the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Regulatory Bodies (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I wish to advise the Deputy that the initial process for filling vacancies on State Boards, for bodies under the aegis of my Department, are managed by the Public Appointments Service (PAS), who hold responsibility for the recruitment and assessment process in respect of new appointments to those Governing Boards. PAS are currently running a process in respect of the board referred to by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Actof 1997 provides for tax relief on fees paid for third level education programmes. The Act refers to lists of ‘approved colleges’ and ‘approved courses’ which are eligible for tax relief. Lists of approved education providers and programmes which are eligible for tax relief are published on the Revenue Commissioners...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25 May 2018 and any personal data breaches since its introduction are dealt with under the Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Article 4 of the GDPR defines a data breach as “‘a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The €67m allocation for apprenticeship set out in the Budget 2024 Expenditure Report, published on 10 October last, includes an allocation of €57m of core funding and €10m temporary funding to invest in the apprenticeship system and support the continued growth of the craft apprenticeship system. Based on current forecasts, the €30m allocation for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I am delighted to have secured a further €400,000 towards social inclusion measures for apprenticeship. This builds on the €100,000 funding allocated for such measures in Estimates 2023. As the Deputy knows, one of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All". That is, ensuring that the profile of the apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Under Budget 2024, the PhD stipend provided by the competitive funding agencies under my Department, Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council, is being increased to €22,000 per student per annum for their approximately 3,000 stipend awardees. This builds on the increase that I secured in Budget 2023 and demonstrates strong and substantial progress on this issue. This...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: On 12th July 2022 the Minister for Health and I announced an agreement with the Irish medical schools to increase the number of places available for EU students by 200 over the next five years. The agreement reached with the medical schools begin with an additional 60 EU students in September 2022, climbing to 120 in September 2023, and up to 200 by 2026. Minister Donnelly and I committed at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (17 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services. There is no quota placed on dental courses by my Department, and therefore the places offered and the modality through which they are offered...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (12 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: With regards to the student referred to by the Deputy, my officials have advised me that SUSI escalated this issue to their ICT unit, who advised that the applicant had an old account from 2012 on the application system. SUSI have removed the old account from the system and the applicant should now be able to register a new account and make an application. SUSI have apologised for the delay...

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (11 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I am very pleased to have an opportunity to confirm details of the budget for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for the coming year. Cost should never be a barrier when it comes to education. It should never be a barrier to someone reaching their full potential or pursuing their goals and getting to where they want to in life. What we are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Condemn Hamas. It is not that hard.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (11 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: He will not condemn Hamas.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: European Court of Justice (11 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department is continuing to review relevant records to establish the situation in relation to information of the kind sought by the Deputy, i.e. with regard to judgements made against Ireland in the Court of Justice of the European Union in each of the past five years in respect of matters which are the responsibility of my Department. As soon as this process has concluded, I will ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (11 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: On 25 August 2023, SUSI issued a letter to the student referred to by the Deputy advising them they needed to re-apply as a dependent student with their parents’ details. To date the student has not reapplied as a dependent student. I would encourage the student to make an application.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (10 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: SUSI has advised the student referred to by the Deputy, was awarded a Postgraduate Fee Contribution of €4,000 on the 6th June 2023 by the awarding authority. The applicant’s income was under the Special Rate threshold of €25,000. However, whilst the applicant’s father did not meet the required number of days. The Student Grant Appeals Board heard an appeal from...