Results 6,241-6,260 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Regarding student accommodation I am conscious that some students are struggling to find affordable accommodation and fundamentally the challenge is one of supply of housing more generally. As a country, we know that we need to dramatically increase the supply of all types of housing and accommodation, including student accommodation. That is why the Government launched Housing for All, led...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Since taking up office, both my Department officials and I have engaged and continue to engage on an ongoing basis with the Minister and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the wider higher education sector and relevant stakeholders on student accommodation issues including within the context of the advancement of the Government's Housing for All policy. My Officials have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teacher Training (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I wish to advise the Deputy that the process for the approval of the intake on the Primary Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme and Professional Master of Education (PME) programme for the 2023/24 academic year has commenced and remains under consideration by the Department of Education. Once approved, the State-funded HEIs will be advised of this. The intake to the B.Ed. at the State...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Apprenticeships are employer led demand-driven educational and training programmes that aim to develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. As apprentices are employees the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by the employer base in any area or sector. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025sets out new ways of...

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

Simon Harris: Significant focus has been given by my Department to strengthening the skills ecosystem in Ireland to ensure it has the agility and flexibility to adapt to changing priorities in the skills landscape and the rapid, technologically driven changes that we are seeing in the world of work. This is essential to ensuring that Ireland continues to have a skilled and productive workforce. My...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department makes a return of contracts awarded without a competitive tender as part of the annual Appropriation Account process. There were no cases to be reported in respect of 2020, Details in respect of 2021 cases are listed in tabular form below. During 2021, two contracts were awarded on a non-competitive basis with a total value of € 297,000. The report in respect of 2022...

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

Simon Harris: 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 Galway earlier this week, I was very pleased to announce that Galway Roscommon ETBs strategic proposal to develop a Further Education College in Galway city was successful in the first stage of the assessment process under the FET...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As part of Budget 2023, I secured a significant cost of living package for third level students, including a once-off €1,000 state financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for my Department’s free fees schemes. Students attending part time courses are not eligible for the free fees schemes and therefore the...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Schemes (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: There are two schemes under the remit of my Department for which applicants are subject to a means test: 1. Student Grant Scheme 2. International Protection Student Scheme Other bursaries and scholarships, such as those offered under the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH), require applicants to be qualified for a particular rate of student grant and to have passed means...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Meetings (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department has had no staff attend any joint policing committees or city and county development boards since its establishment in July 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Apprenticeship Programmes (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the supports that are made available to applicants for apprenticeships with learning difficulties; the type of supports available and if these are provided by SOLAS is being compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Funding (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: My department does not provide a direct funding stream for drugs and alcohol addiction services. My Department does, however, fund higher education institutions (HEIs) to put supports in place for students who are suffering from mental health and well-being issues and some students may require these supports as a result of addiction issues. I have recently announced a €3m increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Reviews (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department will soon begin a national review of State supports for PhD researchers. In this regard, I was pleased to recently appoint Dr Andrea Johnson and David Cagney as Co-Chairs for the review process. I do not intend to appoint any other members, but I do intend that the process will engage widely with stakeholders. The scope of the review includes: - Current PhD researcher supports...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Student Accommodation (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together. Since taking up office, both my Department officials and I have engaged and continue to engage on an ongoing basis with the Minister and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the wider higher education sector and relevant stakeholders on student accommodation issues including within the context of the advancement of...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Consultations (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: To take forward implementation of Funding the Future, I established a steering group which I chair alongside Professor Anne Looney and Professor Tom Collins. Two working groups have been established led by Professors Looney and Collins. The working group focused on skills, participation and cost is examining the potential to support students to avail of more flexible learning opportunities....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Consultations (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The Government agreed a sustainable funding model for higher education in May 2022 following an extensive economic assessment undertaken through the European Commission's Directorate General for Reform. Funding the Future, a funding and reform framework for higher education, was launched on the 25thof May this year. We have committed to a mixed model of funding, including additional...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Capital Expenditure Programme (30 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The revised National Development Plan (NDP) published in October 2021 provided clarity on Departmental capital ceilings for the period 2022 – 2025. The table below sets out the 2023 capital ceilings. HE Capital €179m* HEA Capital €1m HE PPPs €40m FET Capital €60m** ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (29 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: Under my Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding towards the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution. A key principle of the free fees schemes is to support students in progressing through a chosen course of study from year to year. Typically students are not supported for a repeat...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (29 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Fund is the funding mechanism established to implement the National Access Plan (NAP). Strand 2 of the PATH Fund provides bursaries (1916 Bursary) to students who have been identified by their higher education institution as being the most socio-economically disadvantaged. I am pleased to say that my department has recently changed the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (29 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: Entry to medicine in Irish HEIs is provided through both undergraduate and graduate entry routes. Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is oneof the pathways to study medicine. Students pursuing graduate entry medicine (GEM) programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes and...