Results 3,421-3,440 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Inclusion is a core goal for my Department across the tertiary education system and equity of access to Further & Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and my Department. While higher education institutions are autonomous, the approach of my Department has been to offer a range of supports which enable them to meet national objectives, including...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The table requested is being collated and I will provide the Deputy with the information in writing. Since becoming Minister, I have prioritised increasing pathways after secondary school through Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship system provides a real and substantive career pathway for first time learners, it allows them to ‘earn while they learn’ whilst also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I engage regularly with my Government colleagues on how the rising cost of living is impacting students, and I have ensured that measures to support students have formed a core part of the Government's overall response to cost of living issues. This includes close engagement with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. My Department works to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I have made it a priority over recent years to address the issue of the student contribution, as part of an overall approach to addressing the cost of education for learners and families. My Department pays the student contribution, in full or part, on behalf of students who qualify under the student grant scheme. In 2022/23 almost 54,000 students, or approximately 38% of free fees...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is currently targeted at full-time students. Courses that are part-time, less than two years in duration, undertaken online or as distance courses, or which lead to a special purpose or distance award, are not currently approved for the Student Grant Scheme. The Springboard+ and HCI initiatives funded by my Department do offer a number of part-time courses which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Traveller Community (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I am committed to making progress in enhancing access, participation and success for learners across further education, apprenticeship and higher education. The number of students who are members of the Irish Traveller community has improved marginally but still remains disappointingly low. Recent data for 2021/22 indicates that the current number of Traveller new entrants is 52. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The Fund for Students with Disabilities is a critical intervention which supports participation by students with a disability in further and higher education. The fund is an important driver for equity of access to education for students with a disability The purpose of the fund is to provide resources to Further and Higher Education Institutions for the delivery of key services and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: As of the start of this week, some 90,100 applications have been made to the Student Grant Scheme. 68,300 have been awarded and 6,900 have been refused. A further 2,300 were cancelled. Over 12,000 applications are awaiting assessment, or require further documentation to be provided. The figures for the 2023/24 academic year are likely to change as processing is ongoing and more applications...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The tertiary education system plays a central role in ensuring that our graduates from higher education, further education and training and from apprenticeship are equipped with the cognitive skills, the essential transversal skills, and the vocational and professional skills and competencies which will equip them for success in work and society. Against the backdrop of the accelerating and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified graduates is a key priority for me and my Department. This year 460 targeted additional places were created in healthcare programmes. This represents meaningful additionality within existing infrastructure, and targets expansion towards priority skills areas. It builds on additional places created, including in Nursing and Medicine, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the Free Fees Initiative the State provides funding toward the tuition fees of eligible undergraduate higher education students. All students eligible for the scheme receive State support whereby the State pays the cost of tuition fees exclusive of the student contribution. In academic year 2022/23 over 141,000 students benefited from the scheme. The aforementioned student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the Free Fees Initiative the State provides funding toward the tuition fees of eligible undergraduate higher education students. All students eligible for the scheme receive State support whereby the State pays the cost of tuition fees exclusive of the student contribution. In academic year 2022/23 over 141,000 students benefited from the scheme. The aforementioned student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: As part of an ambitious new phase of capital investment launched in early 2022 for the Further Education sector, I was very happy to announce at the end of last year that Cavan Monaghan ETBs proposal for Cavan Town under the College of the Future Major Projects fund was successful at the first stage of the assessment process. This proposal has moved to the next stage of development, which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Services Staff (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department, the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Education to develop a joined-up approach to address system level demand in therapeutic disciplines and healthcare programmes. This year 460 additional places were created in health care related programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The University of Limerick is the only Higher Education Institution in Limerick that has on-campus accommodation of 2,842 beds. My Department is actively working with UL to assess potential projects for development, and UL is one of the Universities being examined under the short term activation initiative. Building Information data provided by the HEA shows within Limerick, 82 beds are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Electric Vehicles (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department is committed to supporting the objectives set out in the Climate Action Plan 2023 including the expansion of Ireland’s electric vehicle fleet and the ambitious target of 30% of our private car fleet having made the switch to electric vehicles by 2030. My Department is coordinating future skills needs with the emerging demands in the sector. This work is based on studies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the FFI, the State provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students attending an approved course. Funding under the Free Fees Initiative is only available in respect of approved courses within the State. I have been clear that I want to see the student's contribution towards tuition fees in higher education reduce in a meaningful way over...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Being demand-led in nature, there are no restrictions on the number of apprentices that can be registered. The current buoyant labour market, coupled with the recognition of apprenticeship as a valuable employment and skills development opportunity, is a welcome endorsement of this Government’s support of, and ambitions for, Apprenticeships in the tertiary sector However, with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The CAO is an independent body, its function is to process applications for undergraduate courses and some postgraduate courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Enquiries regarding the CAO applications process should be addressed to the CAO directly. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO. I am aware of some instances in which an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Ensuring a supply of qualified vets is an important issue for my Department. Workforce planning requirements for the veterinary medicine sector are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in consultation with the Veterinary Council of Ireland. Officials in my Department have been engaging closely with colleagues in Minister McConalogue's Department in...