Results 5,701-5,720 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

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,...

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

Simon Harris: I share the Deputy's view.

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

Simon Harris: After County Wicklow, west Clare is one of the most beautiful parts of our country. I take the Deputy's point. I also take the point about the importance of our regional and technological universities. One of the reasons we have put such a focus on making sure we have university capacity outside of the big cities is for balanced regional development and to provide the opportunity for local...

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. We touched on this question earlier. The Minister for Health and I are doing a scanning exercise to see how we can radically increase the size of the health service from an education point of view. We updated the Cabinet committee on health on that on Monday. The Minister for Health has arrived here just on cue. I expect to be able to bring a joint proposal with the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research Funding (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I expect to receive the report in and around April. When it will be published will depend on how long it takes me to consider it and bring it to the Government and I want to publish it. My intention is to receive the report in due time to be able to consider it, bring it to Government, and then to try to start making progress on its recommendations in the Estimates process. We did make...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Apprenticeship training in the construction sector provides the skills required for a modern workforce, but crucially helps to support the Government in the delivery of our retrofitting targets set out in the national retrofit plan. As we learned yesterday in this House retrofitting a house is not a new house, but it is a very important thing to do in terms of the climate....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy and I absolutely will because it is key for the mental health and wellbeing of young people that we do not have such a narrow definition of success. I think the Central Applications Office, CAO, process and league tables and that soft of stuff have brought us to that in recent years. It is also key for societal good because so much of what we need to progress around...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Yes is the short answer and I recently met the public sector trade unions, and indeed other trade unions representing apprentices to consider how best to take this forward. These rates were traditionally set by industry so, not to pass the buck but there is not a direct role from my Department in terms of setting the rates. However, there are significant considerations around, for example,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Courses Accreditation (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I fully agree with that. It is not mandatory to go through the book, but it is very much made clear that people should do so. Looking at the website, it is quite obvious that people should do this. Equally, when people begin the test, there is an option to take a tutorial before it commences. That tutorial shows people how to navigate and scroll through the test and the questions relating...

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

Simon Harris: Not that I am aware of.

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

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Dillon for the question. He has raised an important issue. We need to train more people to work in therapies. In the area of speech and language therapy, the need is acute. Equally, as the Deputy suggested, it is also important to do this in general in respect of broader therapies concerned with working with people with a disability, older people and our mental health...

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

Simon Harris: I can. I am very committed to ensuring this happens concerning therapy areas, which includes speech and language therapy. I am working closely with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, on this issue. I think we have an opportunity to take a step-change approach to the size of the education...

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

Simon Harris: This issue can very much be addressed. One other area I will throw into the mix is that I think we need to challenge the education sector in respect of how it can address this issue in different and flexible ways. We have, for example, medicine and graduate entry medicine courses. We also have an ability for people to do nursing through further education and progress from there in nursing....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research Funding (30 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The quality of our researchers is fundamental to the quality of our research system and its collaboration with partners in industry and policymakers, both in Ireland and abroad. Under pillar 4 of our national research and innovation strategy, Impact 2030, we have committed to ensuring that our researchers have the right skills and development and career opportunities to ensure they can make...