Results 7,521-7,540 of 45,495 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, fee levels vary across the institutions, disciplines and mode of delivery. Part time and postgraduate tuition fees are payable directly to Higher Education Institutions.   Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs, including the management of academic affairs....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (27 Apr 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 2022 capital ceilings. It should be noted that in addition to the €256.5m set out, a further €0.5m and €1m have been allocated to SOLAS and the HEA respectively to meet agency capital...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance 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 for the centralised student grant awarding authority...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance 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. In assessing an application for the 2022/23 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I understand that the Deputy has clarified with my officials that the Deputy wishes to know the estimated cost of extending the student contribution grant to those undergraduate students currently studying in the four approved Institutions in the North of Ireland. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I have endeavoured to address the Deputy's concerns in the amendment I have just introduced, amendment No. 88.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 109: In page 37, line 34, to delete “shall review” and substitute “shall assess”. I will be very brief on this because these are largely technical amendments to clarify. What I did not want was any confusion with regard to the difference between "review" and "assess". Again, it is similar to the point Deputy Conway-Walsh made earlier. I...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 111: In page 38, line 9, to delete “a review” and substitute “an assessment”.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 112: In page 38, line 20, to delete “a review” and substitute “an assessment”.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I will flag at this stage that based on our very extensive discussions on the Irish language with Deputies Ó Snodaigh, Conway-Walsh, Ó Cathasaigh and Ó Ríordáin at the previous meeting, I am considering bringing forward an amendment on Report Stage in relation to engagement with students who are Irish language speakers. I will also be considering a very similar...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 116: In page 41, line 16, to delete “partnership” and substitute “co-operation”. This goes back to the legal connotations of "partnership". On the basis of the legal advice, therefore, I am replacing it with "co-operation". I take the point, however, because it is different but similar to the discussion we had earlier. I hear the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputies for the very constructive engagement on this. I again thank Conradh na Gaeilge for its work and I met with its representatives on this. We have brought forward multiple amendments to the Bill. I have outlined, even in the last few minutes, more amendments that we will be bringing forward based on some of the discussions we had at the last session and some other areas...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 118: In page 42, to delete line 15 and substitute the following: “(a) the Minister for Education and such other Ministers of the Government as it considers appropriate,”. This arises following engagement with my colleagues in the Department of Education. There is a provision in section 46 for consultation by the HEA with myself, as Minister, and other...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I agree with this point. It is a thing that used to annoy me when I was a Deputy bringing forward amendments. I wish to bring forward my own amendment to do exactly this on Report Stage and while we need to run things through the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, there is no disagreement here. To be clear, this should be in the Bill. We did engage with the TUI and others and they...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 121: In page 43, line 22, to delete “in each year and”. I have been looking at the whole issue of equity of access in the totality and in the round. There are many reports that come to me in regard to equity of access and that are published by the HEA every year and I felt the phrase “in each year” was nearly limiting in terms of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 122: In page 44, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(g) meets the needs of persons who are competent to speak the Irish language,”. This is another one of these points that is becoming common because I think Deputy Conway-Walsh and I must talk to the same people on this legislation. In any case, there is amendment No. 122 in my name and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Just to help our memory given it was so far back, I want to clarify that this was one of those areas, similar to my conversation with Deputy Ó Cathasaigh, where I intend to work with the Deputy between now and Report Stage.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I have looked into this matter. In the context of the horrific situation in Ukraine, there has been a need to seek information in relation to transparency around funding. There have been some parliamentary questions tabled to me that required me to go to institutions to seek data I do not have on that situation and the need for Russia to experience significant sanctions...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 129: In page 50, to delete lines 35 to 41 and substitute the following: "(f) that the higher education provider— (i) has, under section 28 of the Act of 2012, established procedures in writing for quality assurance in relation to which the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland— (I) has approved those procedures under the Act of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Section 61 provides for the development of the strategic development plans in our designated institutions of higher education that are not universities, technological universities, institutes of technology or the National College of Art and Design. This amendment proposes to include the Irish-language requirement in their development plans but for what are mainly private and not-for-profit...