Results 6,281-6,300 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Education and Training Boards (23 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I look forward to visiting Galway with the Senator next week. I should also acknowledge, as I know the Senator would, the work of Councillor Michael Mogie Maher, who now chairs GRETB and who is enthusiastic about these levels of investment. It is an exciting time for further education and training around the country. We have moved from a situation in which further education and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Coast Guard Service (23 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter. I hope he will excuse me for taking it in the unavoidable absence of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. However, I am particularly pleased to take it because, as the Senator has rightly pointed out, it is a part of the world I know well and the station serves a part of the world I represent in Dáil Éireann. I am therefore...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Coast Guard Service (23 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Senator. That sounds like a very reasonable suggestion. I will convey it to the Minister of State and his officials in the OPW to see if they can link with him on when such a meeting could be arranged. I echo the Senator's comments about the vital work being carried out by the Coast Guard. It is only right and proper that the Government supports it in its vital work by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (23 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the attached spreadsheet, for the last five academic years available. This information was sourced from the HEA Student Records System (SRS), with the exception of Maynooth University MSc Psychology conversion course, which was sourced directly from the University. This programme commenced in 2019/2020 academic year.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (23 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is a critical support which is allocated by my Department to higher education institutions (HEIs) through the Higher Education Authority. The fund has a dual focus, it is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and also to provide emergency financial assistance for students. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Official Travel (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: No officials from my Department or from bodies under the aegis of my Department travelled to the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2023 (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: As part of Budget 2023, I have 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; and . - once-off reduction of up to 33% in the contribution fee for apprentices. These...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 510 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the annual expenditure on apprentice accommodation allowances and travel allowance per year since 2011 and the total expenditure in each year since 2018 on accommodation allowance and meal allowance for apprentices in tabular form; and the average cost per apprentice per year, is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. No such analyses are currently being planned. A series of reforms to the student immigration system for international education (assets.gov.ie/25007/6794897b14064e08bae9a9068a849075.pdf) were implemented in 2015. The reforms were designed to drive real and lasting change in the sector and address abuse of the immigration regime and labour...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 504 together. Issues regarding overseas travel agencies have previously been brought to the attention of my Department. These agencies are privately owned and primarily operate in other jurisdictions arranging study and travel options for prospective International Higher Education (HE) and English language education (ELE) students to many countries...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: In October the Minister updated the Cabinet Committee on Housing and received support on initial plans for policy development for the provision of student accommodation. The Minister and his officials are actively progressing a new policy that bridges the challenging gap between the viability of delivering purpose-built student accommodation and subsequent rental affordability for students. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The difficulties faced by students with regard to student accommodation are an issue of which my Department and I are actively pursuing, and their resolution is a high priority for my Department as a whole. In October the Minister updated the Cabinet Committee on Housing and received support on initial plans for policy development for the provision of student accommodation. The Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 507, 508, 513 and 514 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of apprentices employed by each State and semi-State body; the number of apprentices employed by each local authority; the number of apprentices that have been employed across the public sector in each of the years since 2011 and the number of apprentices...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 512 together. The number of registered apprentices on each programme, including craft apprentices, as per the end of October in tabular form is set out at the link. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of craft apprentices who have been registered for over two or four years, in the cases of those registered on two-year...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Nov 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 employers in any area or sector. As per the end of October 4,937 apprentices were waiting over six...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: Apprenticeship is a demand driven educational and training programme which aims to develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. The development of new apprenticeships is employer-led, with consortia comprising employer groups and educational providers coming together to identify a skills need and appropriate apprenticeship response in their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I understand that Galway Roscommon ETB (GRETB) have submitted an application for the establishment of FET college in Galway city under the FET College of the Future funding programme, a new capital investment programme for the FET sector This capital investment programme will support additional capacity, upgrading and enhancement of infrastructure in the FET sector, in line with the FET...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education. For full time undergraduate students, under my Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Nov 2022)

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 do not receive a response from SOLAS within 30 days, please do come back to my office for further follow-up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy in Education: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chairperson and committee members for inviting me to attend today and providing me with the opportunity to update members on some of the work under way by my Department. Many members will already know, and as the Chair has alluded to, this issue is a major motivating issue for me. It is one on which the country has been making significant progress. We are improving educational...