Results 461-480 of 33,693 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Energy Conservation (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: An Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme (EEDPP) in Higher Education was first introduced in 2020 and is co-funded by my Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) under Project Ireland 2040, and administered through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and Higher Education Authority (HEA). The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is administered by the centralised national grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) on behalf of my Department. SUSI regularly reviews their systems, processes and service to identify improvements in service delivery and have made significant strides in this regard in recent years, through for example the development of an online student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Louth Meath ETB (LMETB) put forward a proposal under the Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund (SIUF), which I announced in February 2022, for multipurpose tertiary facilities for Drogheda Institute for Further Education (DIFE). The primary purpose of the SIUF is to support ETB capital projects that will upgrade existing FET infrastructure and provide a high quality teaching and learning...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the need to increase the supply of student accommodation, my Department is developing policy responses 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost of living. These cost of living measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for higher education students applies to those students who are eligible for the free fees initiative which operates within the State. Under the Free Fees Initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. The Deputy will be aware that late last year I was very happy to announce that Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETBs (DDLETB) proposal for Fingal/Swords under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund was successful at the first stage of the assessment process. The proposal put forward by DDLETB is to transform FET provision in the area by adding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The fourth National Access Plan (NAP) was published in August 2022 and is a seven-year plan. The plan aligns with and builds on the wider ambitions of the Programme for Government to provide accessible, affordable education to all citizens. A full midterm review of the NAP will take place in 2025. Since the launch of the plan a number of measures have been progressed including:- Additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tribunals of Inquiry (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: There are no tribunals of inquiry or commissions of investigation operating under the remit of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2024 (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I am once again providing a significant package of measures to support students. We acknowledge that cost is a barrier to education and we’re continuing to break down that barrier and make further and higher education more accessible for more people. For the second year in a row, I have reduced the student contribution fee by €1,000 for undergraduate students eligible for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (19 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: Grant Payments (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (19 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. With regard to the student referred to by the Deputy, my officials have advised me that this application has been reviewed by SUSI and SUSI has been in contact with the student in question to outline...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. The Deputy will be aware that late last year I was very happy to announce that Kerry ETB's (KETB) proposal for Killarney under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund was successful at the first stage of the assessment process. The proposal put forward by KETB is to transform FET provision in Killarney. This is a really exciting...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The issue of academic career precarity is and will remain an important element of the work of my Department. As announced in the recent Budget, an additional €193 million in funding is being provided over 2023 and 2024 to the Higher Education sector. This includes some €60m under the Funding the Future policy framework to build capacity and to ensure the sector is funded...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Apprentices are primarily employees and all of the 73 available apprenticeships are undertaken under a contract of employment. For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer. The apprentice continues to be paid during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the apprenticeship. While attending off-the-job training, craft...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 379, 385, 387 and 389 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: The ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’ sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship more accessible to employers and learners. Expansion to date has widened the impact of apprenticeship to areas of skills shortage such as engineering, technology skills, logistics, and fintech. The ambition of the Plan is to reach 10,000...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: Following on from improvements made to the Student Grant Scheme in Budget 2023, a range of further measures were announced to enhance the scheme and other supports as part of Budget 2024. The once off cost-of-living measures benefiting students in the 2023/24 academic year will include: A €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 and 384 together. Supporting all third level students on their education journey and addressing and overcoming obstacles which may make this journey more challenging is a core strategic function of, and one of the key reasons for the establishment of, my Department. It should be said that there has been much progress made by my Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (19 Oct 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department has made significant changes in the further and higher education, research, innovation and science sectors since its establishment in 2020, and are looking forward to seeing these sectors flourish over this current year and the years to follow. With 400,000 people enrolled in learning across further and higher education, the Department is responsible for a fairly sizeable...