Results 6,201-6,220 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Earlier this month, I indicated in Dáil Éireann that my Department will prepare a submission for Government to consider joining CERN. I expect to ask Government to consider the next approach in 2023. Two types of CERN membership are possible – full membership and associate membership. Associate membership has been recommended by the CERN Ireland Users Group, by a Joint...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The Operational Guidelines Working Group (OGWG) is an internal working group formed under the auspices of Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI). The terms of reference for the group are to review the operational guidelines for Community Training centres (CTCs), Specialist Training Provision (STP) and Local Training Initiatives (LTIs) within the FET sector. In establishing the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 155 together. The College of the Future Major Projects Fund will support the implementation of the vision set out in the Further Education Strategy. During a recent visit to Kerry last weel, I was very pleased to announce that Kerry ETBs proposal for a FET College of the Future in Killarney, which envisages the repurposing of an existing factory site,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department is committed to the continued roll-out of supports and targeted initiatives to tackle educational disadvantage and support equity of access, participation and success in both further and higher education. The new National Access Plan (NAP) was launched in August and it aims to support inclusion and diversity in our student body. It recognises the needs of vulnerable...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department is strongly committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce and support a range of clinical teams in our mental health services. In this context, the Department is engaging on an ongoing basis with the Department of Health, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I am acutely conscious of the challenges facing students and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to education. I also recognise that costs are not limited to tuition fees payable by students and that students have real cost of living challenges such as fuel, food or accommodation and have specific costs associated with their courses such as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Adult Education Provision (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing grade in Education and Training Boards remains unresolved. The Labour Court recommended in 2020 that the official side identify the scale of cost it was prepared or able to absorb and make an offer within those parameters given the constraints applying under FEMPI legislation and the Public Service Stability Agreement in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: 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, including in relation to disability services. Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: At present, the student grant scheme is targeted at full-time students. Courses that are part-time, less than two years in duration, are conducted online or as distance courses or which lead to a special purpose or distance award are not currently approved for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme. However, I have been consistent in my position that we need to develop our student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The new National Access Plan which was launched in August aims to support inclusion and diversity in our student body while addressing the wider challenges faced by students. Students with disabilities will continue to be a priority group in the new plan and for the first time the plan will have a particular focus on students with an intellectual disability. Delivery of the Plan is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The Department for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is committed to the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003 to ensure the improved provision of public services through the Irish language. The Act was strengthened in 2021 in order to significantly increase the quality of those services provided in Irish to the public by State bodies. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The National Access Plan 2022-2028 (NAP) is framed and underpinned by available data from sources such as the Deprivation Index Score (DIS) data, the HEA Student Records System (SRS) and Equal Access Survey (EAS), the Census data and published data from other organisations. Four overarching targets for the higher education system are set, reflecting some of the priority groups targeted by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As an immediate and tangible relief against the challenges of the rising cost of living, I was pleased to introduce: a once off payment in 2022 of €500 for PhD students who receive an IRC or SFI award and a €500 increase to the stipend baseline in 2023 for PhD students who receive an IRC or SFI award. This measure will only apply to the cohort of students in receipt of a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to the achievement of ambitious targets for offshore wind generation capacity by 2030 and is ensuring that the education and training system is appropriately positioned to support the growth and development of the skills required the move to Zero Carbon. Important skills and workforce responses are already in place to meet the needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The key source of statistics on students in higher education is the HEA's student records system (SRS) which records enrolments as at March of every academic year, giving a single point of reference. Therefore, data is not available on a national level on students who leave their programme during the course of the academic year. The HEA publish data on the non-progression of students,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the current National Development Plan committed to a significant step up in investment in Further Education and Training (FET) infrastructure. Earlier this year, I announced an ambitious new phase of capital investment in the further education sector with the launch of two specific capital investment programmes for the sector. A Strategic Infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas trí Ghaeilge (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: In Acht an Údaráis um Ard-Oideachas, 2022, arna achtú le déanaí, áirítear roinnt forálacha maidir le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge. De réir Chuspóirí an Achta éilítear ar an ÚAO aird a thabhairt, agus a fheidhmeanna á gcomhlíonadh aige, ar an tacaíocht le hinstitiúidí ainmnithe ardoideachais maidir...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I was delighted to visit Kerry Education and Training Board (KETB) last week to announce that they are one of ten projects approved to proceed to the next stage of proposal development around the country for capital investment under the Further Education and Training (FET) College of the Future. KETB’s proposal is to repurpose an existing factory site into a state-of-the-art campus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB) submitted an application under the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund, to build new, centralised accommodation for Cavan Institute. It was agreed that this application, which was previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be advanced through this new FET capital funding programme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Technological Universities Act 2018 and the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006. Under this legislation the institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes, including the mode of delivery of...