Results 7,401-7,420 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The backdrop to current wait-lists for essential practical training for apprentices is the extended shutdown of on-site learning activity from March 2020.The closure of education and training facilities in response to the Covid pandemic precluded access to to off-the-job training. The very welcome growth in registrations has compounded pressures on the apprenticeship system to which the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the existing 65 apprenticeship programmes. Given the practical nature of off-the-job training for craft apprentices, the COVID-related shutdown of on-site learning activity over the last two years had a significant impact on the ability of apprentices to access off-the-job training. The other apprenticeships have not been delayed but may have had...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified healthcare professionals is a key priority. The staff required by a children's disability network team (CDNT) require a wide range of expertise in a number of clinical and other areas including, but not limited to physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, social work and community nursing. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department does not produce projections of enrolment on an individual course basis, and therefore the number of occupational therapists expected to graduate this year is not available. Graduate numbers for 2020, the latest year available, are below and numbers for this year would be expected to be similar. These figures are as reported on the HEA's student records system (SRS). ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: On 4th May I launched the Funding the Future framework which includes the Government's policy response to the Cassells and DG Reform Reviews on the future of higher education and which sets out my intention to implement a progressive range of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, in the context of overall Budgetary decision-making. I am very conscious of the difficulties...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 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. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and as such the management of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department was established in August 2020 and commenced moving headquarters into existing State-owned office space in September 2021. I can also confirm that my Department currently has no cleaning or sanitising costs related to the roofs of the building under our control. Building works have been ongoing since our move into my Departmental HQ and as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 322, 323 and 330 together. Apprenticeships are employer led demand driven educational and training programmes, which 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. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (19 May 2022)

Simon Harris: On 4thMay I launched the Funding the Future framework which includes the Government's policy response to the Cassells and DG Reform Reviews on the future of higher education and which sets out my intention to implement a progressive range of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, in the context of overall Budgetary decision-making. The policy sets out the vision and direction...

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

Simon Harris: The programme to which the Deputy refers is a research-based, social impact initiative based at NUI Galway. It provides student-facing educational resources to nearly all Irish HEIs and staff training. Beginning in 2013, the programme scaled up between 2019/2023 with philanthropic donor support, to provide the HE sector with a robust, research-informed portfolio of interactive workshops,...

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

Simon Harris: There is no quota placed on dental courses by my Department, and therefore the places offered are a matter for the higher education institutions, in line with their autonomy. However due to the high level of practical work involved there are material constraints on the number of students that can be accepted onto dentistry courses. My Department is strongly committed to supporting the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (18 May 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, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (18 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Enrolments in medicine by domicile for the 2020/21 academic year are available in the table below. Enrolment figures for 2021/22 are not yet available. These figures are taken from the HEA's student records system (SRS) which records the number of students as of 1st March of each academic year. Domicile Enrolments Ireland 3,382 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (18 May 2022)

Simon Harris: The Central Applications Office (CAO) is a not-for-profit company created by the Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It processes applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on the behalf of HEIs. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. The CAO publishes information on Round 1 offers, including...

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

Simon Harris: The Department is working with colleagues both in SOLAS, the HEA and other Government Departments to deliver an appropriate response to existing projections of skills needs in the construction sector. All new relevant reports and projections inform this response. This particular report is currently being peer reviewed by colleagues in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the...

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

Simon Harris: The number of apprentices on each programme in tabular form for end of March 2022 is attached, A breakdown of apprentices on each programme for April is not yet available as it is being collated by SOLAS. Craft apprentice registrations have experienced a marked increase in interest over the past 4 years. In 2021, a record 8,607 new apprentices were registered, this is an increase of nearly...

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

Simon Harris: A key objective of the ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’is to ensure that the apprenticeship system will increase its contribution to meeting Ireland’s skills and human capital requirements by delivering on a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025. Craft apprentice registrations have experienced a marked increase in interest over the past...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (18 May 2022)

Simon Harris: Universities and Institutes of Technology determine their own procedures for admission. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions are made by the Higher Education Institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO...

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

Simon Harris: Following a call for proposals under the FET College of the Future Major Projects Fund, I understand that a Strategic Assesment Report in relation to the Cavan Institute proposal has now been submitted by Cavan Monaghan ETB to SOLAS. The Deputy will be aware that it was agreed that the Cavan Institute project, previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be...

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

Simon Harris: I am committed to the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, within the overall context of Government policy towards costs of living and other relevant strategies including those related to access and participation in education. It is important to highlight the very substantial financial support, currently well in excess of half a billion...