Results 3,581-3,600 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (26 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 618 and 619 together. The Deputy's office has clarified that the questions relate to Further and Higher Education. Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A key ambition is to ensure that supports and opportunities are provided for learning to all. I want the tertiary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Regulatory and Poverty Impact Assessments (26 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The number of Bills prepared by my Department in the 33rd Dáil to date; the number and title of those Bills that included a Regulatory Impact Assessment, and the titles of the RIAs published by my Department can be found in the table below: Bill Number Bill Title Regulatory Impact Assessment Title No 1 of 2022 Higher...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I would like to send the Deputy a detailed note on the borrowing framework.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I will not do it justice in this time. We need to win the argument and build up enough confidence in allowing people to access State balance sheets and borrowing. The place to start is on the issue of student accommodation and showing proof of concept through that. I will send the Deputy a detailed note on that. Carlow College is trying to give an incredible gift to the people of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Wynne for this question. I look forward to visiting County Clare shortly. I hope to do so in the next month. Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, LCETB, provides a broad range of further education and training options at levels 1 to 6, including literacy, community education, post-leaving certificate courses, Youthreach, training for the employed and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I am excited about the new tertiary degrees. We have set up a national tertiary office. There are now 23 degrees which can be accessed by starting in further education with a guarantee of being able to complete it in higher education. Nobody cares or asks what points you got in the leaving certificate. You are assessed on your suitability in different ways, such as interviews and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I am happy to explore that idea with Deputy Wynne and to have a meeting with the relevant stakeholders. The proposal needs to come through various education and training boards, universities and others. I see huge potential when it comes to renewable energy and offshore wind. Often, we talk about climate in terms of all the challenges it poses, which it does - it is the biggest crisis the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: It is a pity we will not have much time for this question. I am sure we will return to it again. The apprenticeship system is responding to a marked increase in demand over the past four years. For the reasons the Deputy has mentioned, we need more people working in the trades. We estimate that we need 50,000 more people working in construction by 2030 and 17,000 more in retrofitting....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I agree with everything Deputy O'Dowd says, but I stand here thinking that there are reasons to be excited and hopeful now about the future of DkIT. I congratulate the new president and thank him for the proactivity he is bringing to this. We need to bring this to finality. We also need to provide that little bit of space. The staff in DkIT and in Maynooth University have been informed by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I am determined to work with Deputy Ó Murchú on the PA issue and to make progress on it. I thank him for the constructive way in which we have engaged on that. In relation to any potential strategic decisions DkIT may or may not make in the future, I am not going to give a view on it today because I think it would be unfair and disrespectful to their autonomy and to the process in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor very much for raising this issue and for working with me on the delivery of the South East Technological University, SETU, which benefits Carlow, and also issues relating to Carlow College, which I know she is very passionate about and on which I am very committed to working with her. We want to see more college-owned student accommodation. It is so...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I have a couple of points to make. I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor for all her work. Only last month my Department gave approval to SETU to purchase a site, which will provide an access route to SETU's currently owned site of 4.7 acres. That is quite an important position. Any integration of Carlow College into an autonomous higher education institution remains in the first instance a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: My answer is factual in the sense that I have to work within the laws of the land. Within the law of the land, higher education institutions are autonomous institutions that are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs. I have responsibility for making sure we put measures in place to help students with the costs of going to college, including the cost of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Sure.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I will.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully accept the challenges, and do so against a context and a backdrop of really high levels of participation rates in third level education. I am trying to take a number of steps to provide more pathways and opportunities, including providing universities in the regions. The idea that everyone has to move to a big city means that there can be a last-minute scramble, which causes some...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I love coming to Louth because I think we are making real progress with the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, LMETB. I want to praise Martin O’Brien, who is the CEO of LMETB, and others there. I thank Deputy O’Dowd for bringing me up the road to Drogheda so often. We now have plans to significantly expand Drogheda Institute of Further Education. I am very excited...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: We know what the map of Ireland looks like. Every single application that has come to me for a technological university has now been delivered on, but we have had challenges. We do not need a history lesson on how we get over that DkIT issue and how we deliver a university of scale for the north east and all the good opportunities that will come from that. I need to say at the outset...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I agree. As it is a sensitive moment with regard to that public private partnership, PPP, bundle, I will be limited in what I will say. I expect to be in a position to bring finality and clarity to that very shortly. I know how much the new engineering, computing and general teaching building that is planned for SETU in Waterford has been anticipated for a very long time. I accept there...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (21 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I answered a question from another Deputy from County Kerry earlier regarding students from Kerry going to Cork for their university education. Of course, that will always happen but I am so proud we can stand here now, as I am sure the Deputy is as a Kerry Deputy, and say that Kerry is now a university county, Tralee is now a university town, and there is a real capacity to do more in...