Results 5,041-5,060 of 45,373 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Mar 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 for direct reply on this individual matter. If you have not received a response from SOLAS within 30 days, please feel free to come back to my office for further follow-up.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (21 Mar 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 referred your query to SOLAS and due to the provisions outlined in GDPR a response on this individual matter was issued to the apprentice on March 21st 2023. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: For student grants 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 mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department does not have a role in relation to loans which might be offered by lenders to students for particular purposes. This is a matter between the relevant lenders and the students applying for such loans. In May 2022 the Government approved Funding the Future – a landmark policy on the future of higher education. The Government has decided that the funding model for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: My Dept of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, recently announced a State investment of up to €41 million to support the delivery of a phase one development of 405 additional student accommodation beds on Dublin City University's Glasnevin Campus. This funding is part of the wider Government short term initiative to activate purpose built student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department have no projects that are on hold due to capital funding pressures.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model does not cater for economic or value for money evaluations post entering into contract. I can confirm that value for money evaluations were carried out prior to executing the PPP contracts for both projects referred to by the Deputy. There is no provision within the contract, to carry out any such evaluations within the agreed contract, nor is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, an emergency once off and repayable funding allocation of €5m was provided to the Institute of Technology Tralee (IT Tralee) by the HEA and Department in 2019. Serious cash-flow difficulties emerged in the Institute and it was identified in 2018 that the Institute would need additional funding and a series of cost saving measures to ensure its sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Irish universities have autonomy to borrow within a framework agreed with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Based on data provided to the HEA, total university borrowings at 30 September 2022 were €977m (2021: €942m). An analysis of university borrowings as at 30 September 2021 (the latest date...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The information that the Deputy is seeking is not readily available. My Department is currently collecting and collating the data required which will be provided to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The Premier House building purchase was approved by the TU Dublin (formerly IT Tallaght) governing body in 2013 to meet additional capacity needs identified by the Institute at the time. Following negotiations with a commercial property firm acting on behalf of the vendor and property advisors acting on behalf of the Institute agreement on the cost was reached. In accordance with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: All processes relating to property and site acquisitions are conducted in accordance with the Public Spending Code requirements and relevant guidance from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The acquisition of the proposed site is currently being progressed by Wexford County Council. Expanding the higher education campus in Waterford and Wexford remain key...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware, the Higher Education Authority is currently reviewing, with an Expert Panel expressions of interest to build capacity in Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry and Veterinary from 2024/2025. I understand from the HEA that overall, responses represented a rapid, nationwide engagement with the call, with expressions of interest in developing new courses in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: It is a priority of my Department to expand the pathways to tertiary education and expand provision of courses, particularly in areas of acute skills demand. There are a range of options in the system, and pathways to careers that students can consider. For anyone who doesn’t gain access to their course of choice immediately, there is often an alternative education path available...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy may be aware that I already instigated improvements to the student grant scheme in Budget 2022. For the academic year 2022/23, I increased the income threshold to qualify for the standard rate of student grant by €1,000 & all maintenance grant holders benefited from an increase of €200. I also announced a range of further measures to enhance the scheme as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively addressing the difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation. Fundamentally the challenge of affordable student accommodation is one of supply of housing more generally. The outbreak of war in Ukraine has compounded the impact of Brexit and Covid 19, coupled with the cost of construction and fossil fuels, has posed significant difficulties for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware, the Expressions of Interest is an independent process managed by the Higher Education Authority. I am satisfied that as with all HEA processes, this process is being conducted to the highest standards and will be externally validated. This includes the expert advisory panel. I understand from the HEA that the panel is comprised of representatives from...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I am aware of and actively addressing the difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation. Fundamentally the challenge of affordable student accommodation is one of supply of housing more generally, and the impact of the global economy on the cost of construction. To assist with the shortage of accommodation for our students, on 29 November 2022, I secured...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sustainable Development Goals (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious framework. A whole-of-Government approach to its implementation has been taken in Ireland. Ireland’s Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals, 2022 – 2024 was published in October 2022. The Plan was developed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pharmacy Services (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware, the Higher Education Authority has completed the first stage of an expression of interest process for Higher Education Institutionsinterested in building capacity in Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and Veterinary. The second stage of this process is currently underway, involving the review of applications from the EOI process by an Expert Advisory Panel....