Results 5,521-5,540 of 45,373 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for the question. As I know the Deputy is aware, the Higher Education Authority, HEA, has now completed the first stage of an expression of interest process for higher education institutions interested in building capacity in dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine. The second stage of this process has now commenced with the recent...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I accept the Deputy's challenge. When I became Minister, the view, not just in my Department but also in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was that we had enough spaces, which I thought was kind of crazy. The only place providing veterinary medicine at the moment is University College Dublin and, as the Deputy quite correctly said, as we have discussed on many occasions...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Further and Higher Education (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: We will get it right because I would imagine the best people to tell us what is needed in terms of veterinary qualifications are the chief veterinary officer and the Veterinary Council of Ireland and they are on the panel. I would not be so rude or arrogant to suggest that I or indeed other individuals with views on this outside the House know better than they do. I have very clearly...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: As I am conscious this is the first time we have had an opportunity to take questions on fees in college since the passing of Deputy Ó Ríordáin's colleague, and our former Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to her and extend my condolences to her family, friends, to her Labour Party family and to the Deputy. Anytime we talk about...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Programmes (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. As the Senator knows and as I conveyed to the House earlier, it would not be appropriate for me to provide details on or make reference to specific projects but I can only imagine the difficulty and challenges for workers, as Senator Gallagher outlined. I think of them and their families. I understand his request for clarification for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Departmental Programmes (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator. I will certainly undertake to liaise with appropriate colleagues in the Cabinet, as I know the Senator will do. I will certainly be happy to help facilitate it, as appropriate. What motivated my decision to seek Government approval to close the immigrant investment programme to new applicants, effective from the close of business tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 February, was...

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

Simon Harris: The special rate of grant in the student support scheme has, as a matter of long-standing policy, been targeted at applicants who are the dependents of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the relevant eligibility criteria are met. This policy position was first articulated by the 2001 McNamara report which considered how to target resources most effectively to support access to...

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

Simon Harris: I want to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service. Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department,...

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

Simon Harris: The Government has introduced a range of measures to support people with the cost of living. As part of this overall response, I have introduced a significant package that has seen students and families directly benefit. The package provided for adjustments to the level of funding available through existing supports provided by my Department, including once-off measures in this academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The TU Dublin Aungier Street Campus is currently the home of TU Dublin’s Business School, which will in time re-locate to a new purpose built facility in Grangegorman as part of the development of the Grangegorman site under the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) Act 2005. Under the terms of the GDA Act 2005, both TU Dublin and the GDA are responsible for the disposal of assets,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively addressing the difficulties faced by students in accessing affordable student accommodation. In recognition of the construction cost challenges and associated impact on affordability of student accommodation, on 29 November 2022, I secured Government approval to develop both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply of affordable student accommodation. ...

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

Simon Harris: In July 2022 I announced an increase in medicine places for EU students in Irish Medical Schools, alongside the Minister for Health. The agreement reached with the medical schools led to an increase of 60 places in September 2022, climbing to 120 in September 2023, and up to 200 by 2026. This will mean by 2026 an additional 200 students will commence medicine each year. This increase was done...

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

Simon Harris: Impact 2030, Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy which I was pleased to launch in May of 2022 prioritises the nurturing and development of talent and excellence to build on Ireland’s reputation as an Island of Talent and a location for research excellence and impact.The quality of our researchers is fundamental to the quality of our research system and its collaboration...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cybersecurity Policy (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I want to thank the Deputy for the question. It's very important that there is clarity about the respective roles of different institutions, agencies and Departments when it comes to the critical matter of cyber security. As autonomous bodies, higher education institutions have governance and legal responsibility for their own administrative and corporate affairs, including in their...

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

Simon Harris: For many school leavers, discussions on continuing education or training have focused on Leaving Certificate based CAO points and the race to secure a place in higher education. I have been working with partners across the sector to develop and promote a tertiary system which provides options for school leavers to continue their education in a manner and location that suits their interests...

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

Simon Harris: The Higher Education and the Disability Access Routes to Education, otherwise known as the HEAR and DARE schemes, are reduced points mechanisms for entry into Higher Education which support national policy goals regarding access of under-represented groups. Both schemes are operated by the Irish Universities Association, on behalf of the higher education institutions which set out the...

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

Simon Harris: The Government has introduced a range of measures to support people with the cost of living. As part of this overall response, I have introduced a significant package that has seen students and families directly benefit. The package provided for adjustments to the level of funding available through existing supports provided by my Department, including once-off measures in this academic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: Apprenticeships are employer-led demand-driven programmes that develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the labour market needs. The number of new apprenticeship registrations is, therefore, primarily determined by the level of recruitment of apprentices by employers. 2022 saw a total of 8,286 registrations and a population of 26,325 at year end. This strong growth in...

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

Simon Harris: The terms and conditions of the Student Grant Scheme are applied impartially to all applicants. Regarding residency, in order to be eligible for a grant, a student must have been resident in the State for at least three out of the five years prior to starting their course. This gives students a significant level of flexibility. Students who want to take time out to travel or work abroad,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (14 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: Ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified professionals in disciplines required for disability teams and therapy professions operating in the Health, Children and Education sectors is a key priority for me and my Department. I want to build on the progress made in supporting health workforce planning last year which saw 60 additional medicine places added in September 2022, with...