Results 3,641-3,660 of 45,291 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The Construction Safety Licensing Bill 2023 provides for a new and comprehensive framework for the licensing of certain construction, quarrying and related activities in Ireland. Following an independent review of SOLAS’s Construction Services Unit in 2017 and subsequent consultation with public sector, industry, and staff representatives, all stakeholders agreed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Proposed Legislation (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully support the introduction of the Construction Safety Licensing Bill as it represents an important contribution by my Department to strengthening the statutory framework for health and safety training in Ireland. The objective underpinning this Bill is to ensure that the number of accidents and fatalities on construction sites will fall as we continue to produce highly skilled workers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (14 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the current model, trainees who successfully complete a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) or Quarries Skills Certification Scheme (QSCS) programme receive QQI accreditation and a CSCS or QSCS card. Moving to a licensing model for the activities covered by the CSCS and QSCS programmes was a recommendation from the BearingPoint report, commissioned by SOLAS in 2017....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The principle of academic freedom is a cornerstone of high-quality higher education and research throughout the world. Ireland has among the highest statutory protections in its sectorial legislation for academic freedom in Europe. Academic freedom is provided for in section 14 of the Universities Act, 1997 section 10 of the Technological Universities Act, 2018 and section 5A of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Tackling sexual violence and harassment has been and will continue to a particular policy priority for me and my Department. In fact, one of the very first actions I took after my appointment as Minister in 2020 was to write to all publicly funded higher education institutions outlining my commitment to tackling sexual violence and harassment in higher education and requesting that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: As part of Budget 2023, in recognition of the cost of living financial challenges facing full time third level students funded through my Department, I secured a significant cost of living package for third level students. This included a once-off €1,000 state financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: On May 4th 2022, the Government published Funding the Future, as part of the policy response to the independent report “Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland”, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the various funding options presented in the Cassells Expert Group Report (2016). Funding the Future confirmed that a mixed funding model would be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The total population of craft and consortia apprentices as per 31st May 2023, in tabular form is attached.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation is an issue which Government and I are actively pursuing. This issue is heightened by the shortage of accommodation in the wider private rental market. Government is committed to addressing supply of affordable student accommodation attending publicly funded higher education institutions in Ireland. Through...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: The Debenhams Training Fund, proposed by the Chairman of the Labour Court in the context of the liquidation of Debenhams Ireland, was endorsed by the former workers in May 2021. Having secured the necessary approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Fund is being financed from the National Training Fund. The Fund is administered by SOLAS and provides...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the Further Education and Training Act (2013), SOLAS has statutory responsibility for planning, funding, and co-ordinating Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland. My officials have referred your query to SOLAS, who have advised the apprentice will be called to their off the job training in October 2023.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Addressing the cost of education is a key priority for me. Over the course of the past three Budgets, I have delivered a range of enhancements to the Student Grant Scheme to put more money into the pockets of students and their families including a significant package of cost of living measures which took effect this academic year. For students starting their course this September, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Travel Card (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Apprentices are primarily employees for the duration of their apprenticeship and all of the 67 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. Apprenticeship programmes incorporate a minimum of 50% on-the-job training combined with off-the-job training. This is delivered in a number of different ways according to the apprenticeship programme. Training format ranges...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, higher education institutions are autonomous institutions and therefore it is a matter for individual institutions to determine policy and procedure in relation to any capitation fees or other levy payable by students for services or campus facilitates. In this regard it is not open to my Department to intervene in such policies and my Department has no plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All", so that the profile of the apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population. The Plan promotes general access, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeship by offering targeted supports to encourage participation from under-represented groups...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising matters in relation to the cost of supporting students with higher education costs. I am acutely conscious of the challenges facing students and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to education. I also recognise that costs are not limited to tuition fees or other registration fees payable by students....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Reform (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: Any integration of Carlow College, St. Patrick's into an autonomous higher education institution is in the first instance a matter for the respective governing authorities of Carlow College and any potential partner higher education institution. In this context, the Department understands that the College has been engaging with South East Technological University (SETU) on potential...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: A key strength of the apprenticeship model is that it is an employer demand-led approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. As such, the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by employers in any sector. General expansion of apprenticeship as a route to career development is a key priority for Government. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: While there are currently no plans in my Department for the provision of funding of universities to explicitly avail of solar photovoltaic solutions as part of any summer works scheme, I can advise the Deputy that energy efficiency and decarbonisation initiatives in the Higher Education Sector are underway, since 2020. An Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (EEDPP)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1350 to 1352, inclusive, 1354, 1360 to 1362, inclusive, and 1378 together. The Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF) is a three-year fund (1 September 2020 – 31 August 2023) that invested €90 million in the technological sector to assist with the development and progression of technological universities. Technological university...