Results 6,521-6,540 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided to students by the Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the 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. The decision on eligibility for a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to education is a key objective for my Department. I also recognise that costs are not limited to tuition fees and students have real cost of living challenges such as fuel, food or accommodation and have specific costs associated with their courses such as books or materials. In Budget 2023, I gave priority to introducing a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2023 (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: In Budget 2023, I gave priority to introducing a significant package of measures that will see students and families directly benefit and will help them tackle the challenges posed by the increased cost of living. In 2022 these measures include: - Higher education students who are eligible for the fees initiative will benefit from a once off reduction in the student contribution rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Historically, Higher Education Institutions have used borrowings to develop their own student accommodation, without State support. Institutions have accessed financing at competitive rates from sources such as the Housing Finance Agency and the European Investment Bank. In more recent times, the student accommodation sector has been impacted by the same construction inflation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department is focused on driving a skills ecosystem and skills agenda in Ireland which is agile and flexible to priority skill needs, and to changes in the world of work driven by technology, to ensure Ireland has a skilled and productive workforce. Our approach to addressing these challenges is firmly rooted in collaborative partnership with enterprise and other stakeholders, and is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ukraine War (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: My officials are in touch with their colleagues in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth, who have primary responsibility for the provision of short-term emergency accommodation for displaced Ukrainians in Ireland. They have advised that, given the challenging environment in which it is currently operating, it not in a position to provide bespoke accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Significant progress is being made in realising the ambition for apprenticeship set out in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. The further development and mainstreaming of apprenticeship in Ireland through the creation of a single unified apprenticeship system has a key role to play in meeting Ireland's skills needs in a manner that presents a valued proposition for apprentices and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Veterinary Services (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Officials from my Department have been engaging extensively with the Higher Education Authority and the higher education sector to identify where additional places can and should be provided in the higher education system. The Higher Education Authority are currently developing a request for Expressions of Interest to issue to the sector targeted at specific areas including veterinary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Schemes (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 595 and 597 together. The Taoiseach and I recently launched Innovate for Ireland, which is a new partnership between industry and the Government to recruit and retain research talent to Ireland. Innovate for Ireland should commence in 2023 and the initial phase will seek to attract up to 400 high calibre PhD students to undertake research in Ireland that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Both I and my officials have been engaged with Carlow College St Patrick's over the course of the last year and more. As the Deputy is aware the College is seeking to be integrated into the publicly funded higher education system in the South East, and would like to be incorporated into the new South East Technological University (SETU). SETU is an institution established under the TU Act...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Munster Technological University (MTU) received approval in principle in December 2019 for exchequer funding in the amount of €18.75m for extensive upgrade and refurbishment of the 1974 Building at its Cork Campus. This funding represents a key investment for the Campus and will further boost the role played by MTU as a driver of economic development in the southern region. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: I remain firmly committed to supporting Cavan Institute as a hub for further education and training in Cavan town and the wider region. The Deputy will be aware that it was agreed that the Cavan Institute project, which was previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be advanced as part of the new Further Education and Training (FET) capital funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013, craft and general construction workers, persons undertaking on-site security work and persons or classes of persons as may be prescribed by the relevant Minister are required to hold a safety awareness registration card (Safe Pass card). Safe Pass training and assessment is delivered by SOLAS Approved Training...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: As part of Budget 2023 I have secured a significant cost of living package for third level students. As part of the cost of living measures in Budget 2023, postgraduate Students who meet the eligibility criteria for a Postgraduate Fee Contribution Grant will receive a once-off increase of €1,000 in the grant, which is increasing from €3,500 to €4,500 and is due to be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Costs (18 Oct 2022)

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, progression, previous academic attainment and means. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the scheme in relation to progression, a student must be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: The student referred to by the Deputy submitted an appeal to the SUSI appeals officer on the 28th September 2022. The appeal was upheld. However, in the appeal the student stated that he changed from a Post Leaving Certificate Course to an Undergraduate course. As the total household reckonable income was calculated to be over the income threshold for PLC but under the maximum threshold for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: For operational and security reasons, it is not appropriate to disclose details, including any budgetary matters, of my Department’s Cyber Security arrangements, or those of State Agencies under my remit. Any disclosure of information in relation to cyber security matters could assist malicious actors in identifying potential vulnerabilities and potentially compromise my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: The proportion of my Department’s data held at present on commercial cloud is estimated at approximately 2%. The move to cloud computing has the potential to offer improvements in terms of improved security, reliability, increased access and a reduced carbon footprint amongst others. The amount of my Department’s data stored in the cloud has increased since 2019 and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (18 Oct 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. For students in private colleges the reduction will apply where students are attending approved...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (18 Oct 2022)

Simon Harris: The attached table contains the information requested by the Deputy. The salary scale for Special Adviser to a Minister is the same as the Civil Service Principal Officer pay scale, under the terms of the Guidelines for Ministerial Appointments to the 33rd Dáil. Mr. Simon Harris, T.D. Minister for Further & Higher Education Research, Innovation & Science Ms. Sarah Bardon;...