Results 3,681-3,700 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Work is under way to increase the level of training capacity across the apprenticeship system. In addition, an accelerated on-the-job process to reduce time gaps between off-the-job and on-the-job phases to assist with apprenticeship progression towards qualification is being implemented. At this stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion, but it is a priority to further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The development of further training capacity is being prioritised. We will continue to monitor the National Waiting Lists against apprentices currently waiting to be called to their Phase 4, off-the-job training? Where an apprentice is, through no fault of their own, delayed in training, they can avail of a higher off-the-job training allowance while training. For example, an apprentice...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means. With regard to the specific application, I have been advised by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that the position in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Article 24(6) of the Student Grant Scheme 2023 provides that gifts or inheritances received in the reference period are included as reckonable income. An applicant can, however, re-apply for subsequent years of their study as the inheritance amount is taken into account for one year only. If any of the persons whose income is under consideration received a gift or an inheritance in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Article 24(6) of the Student Grant Scheme 2023 provides that gifts or inheritances received in the reference period are included as reckonable income. An applicant can, however, re-apply for subsequent years of their study as the inheritance amount is taken into account for one year only.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Directives (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is being led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is an important EU Directive that will introduce mandatory minimum accessibility requirements for certain products and services in the EU. Officials in DCEDIY have noted that they have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: A key strength of the apprenticeship model is that it is an demand-led employer-driven 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 Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The Widows’s/Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partner's pension are counted as reckonable income for the purposes of the student grant means test in a similar fashion to other Department of Social Protection payments such as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (20 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: Third Level Admissions (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions determine their own procedures for admission. Neither I nor my Department have a role in these procedures, or the operation of the CAO, and it is not within my remit to intervene in individual cases. TU Dublin is independent in its decision making on admissions. I cannot intervene in that decision. I would encourage the student to make contact with the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I recognise that third level education can be a significant cost for families and students. Under the Student Grant Scheme, "holiday earnings" is income that a student has earned outside of term time in the previous tax year, can be deducted from the total income assessed, up to a maximum level. For students in the current academic year the maximum level that can be deducted has increased...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1067, 1068 and 1069 together. Officials from my Department have been engaging regularly with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to ascertain possible expansion on existing programmes from 2023, including in the health and social care professions. The Department of Health have recently given a written commitment to this Department as to the availability of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Last year my Department established a working group to identify and address barriers to expansion in the health and social care professions, including radiation therapy. This working group has included representatives from the Department of Health, the HSE, CORU, the higher education sector as well as my Department. This group has looked at both incremental expansion from September 2023, and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gambling Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: My officials are seeking further information on this matter from the institutions in question. I will revert with a reply to the Deputy directly as soon as it is received.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous and manage their own academic affairs. Under The Universities Act 1997 legislation the institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes and neither I, nor my Department, have a role in these internal processes. I would encourage the student to make contact with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: In considering matters raised it is important to note that the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science does not place a cap on the number of Social Work places and therefore the places offered are a matter for the higher education institutions (HEIs), in line with their autonomy. Currently, six higher education institutes have accredited programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021 predates the DFHERIS, and that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) are in the process of developing a new LGBTI+ strategy. My Department is a member of the national LGBTI+ Steering Committee which oversees the implementation of the strategy and is working with the DCEDIY on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1075, 1076, 1077, 1078, 1079 and 1080 together. The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department, the most recent data for new entrants regarding the requested Social Work programmes is from 2021/2022, sourced from the Student Records System of the HEA, outlined in the table below. This data is rounded to the nearest five by the HEA...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: 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 assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Simon Harris: In November 2022, I received Government approval for a new policy led by my Department, to provide funding to stimulate the development of new and additional student accommodation for public higher education institutions. This landmark policy response will, for the first time, see the State providing financial support in the construction of student accommodation, and underpins the policy...