Results 4,801-4,820 of 45,373 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Sector Pensions (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: As noted in my previous response, a business case has been prepared to support access to the single public service pension scheme for those researchers who are not currently able to join the scheme. This business case has been submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan and Reform and is currently under review. This is an iterative process and, as such,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Services (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to “provide a range of free, adequate, safe, and suitable period products in all educational publicly-funded settings (including schools, colleges and HEIs), to ensure that no students are disadvantaged in their education by period poverty.” Last year, a pilot was rolled out to nine further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply. These landmark...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of student accommodation projects had to be paused. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply. These landmark...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions have taken significant steps to ensure that teaching and learning is enhanced by the integrated use of digital technologies, both on-campus and remotely. This is in line with the their statutory academic independence which includes the mode of delivery of programmes of study. Many HEIs have been developing new blended learning programmes for validation. Such...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Projects (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department has given approval to SOLAS in August 2022 for the relevant ETB to appoint a Design Team to develop proposals for Youthreach provision in the building referenced. My Department is advised by SOLAS that the ETB have tendered for this Design Team and are awaiting conclusion of the procurement process Once this procurement is finalised and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of staff who took sick leave is in the following table. Due to the relatively low number of employees working in my Department and the consequential risk of identification the number of staff who identified stress as the reason for their absence has not been included in the interest of the protection of employee well-being....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that in the event that a member of staff in my Department is concerned about bullying at their place of work they are advised of the anti-bullying, harassment and sexual harassment policy for the Irish Civil Service, entitled "Dignity at Work", which is published by the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform. Since the establishment of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: Since the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in August 2020 to date, no officials at my Department have been dismissed from duty.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: Apprentices are primarily employees and all of the 66 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 with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements of the apprenticeship. For the 25 craft apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: Capital exchequer funding for approved capital works projects comes from various sources, however there is no specific EU funding received for capital works in universities.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Addiction Services (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department has allocated €5 million to the Higher Education Authority for mental health and well-being services this year in Higher Education Institutes. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of mental health and well-being funding, including the funding of student services, such as support for people dealing with gambling addiction, is a matter for each Institute so...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to 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. SUSI grant funding is available for approved undergraduate courses in approved higher education institutions within...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pension Provisions (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am firmly of the view that there should be access to public service pensions for research staff in all higher education institutions across the sector. A business case has been prepared to support access to the single public service pension scheme for those researchers who are not currently able to join the scheme. This business case has been submitted to the Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The below table sets out the number of providers offering awards at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) in Healthcare Support and in Health Service Skills alongside the number of learners who obtained these award in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Year No. of Providers Learners 2020 40 2,389 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. We are working on compiling a response and are discussing with SUSI and we will revert to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (18 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1834 and 1835 together. As part of the cost of living response in Budget 2023, I prioritised the introduction of a significant package of measures to directly support students and their families. These measures included, for the 2022/23 academic year, a once off reduction of €1,000 in the student contribution. I have been clear that I want to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the question. As she will be aware, the HEA is close to concluding a process to identify where additional capacity could be built in the higher education sector in a number of key areas, including veterinary medicine. As part of the process, the HEA is examining opportunities for new programme provision as well as the expansion of current programmes, and will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Education (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I agree with Deputy Conway-Walsh that we need more capacity. If I did not believe that, we would not have included veterinary medicine in the review. We need more capacity. She is also right that whichever institution is selected, or wherever additional places might be made available, we need institutions that can deliver. The key to that is the role of the Veterinary Council of Ireland,...