Results 7,561-7,580 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Senator Seery Kearney for her contribution and her work in this area. There is quite a lot in it so let me delve in. The Senator is beyond right in regard to the whole issue of outcomes and output. This is probably more generally across the public service but we have to stop measuring just what we are putting in and start measuring what comes out the other side. I am talking about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes, that is exactly right. We are at the table, as are all the other relevant Departments and the anchor for that discussion now is the Indecon report around the cost of disability and how we respond to that. Deputy Rabbitte will deliver the Government's response but we are all feeding into it. In regard to part time courses, it is important that the Senator provided a balance to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I think that is right. The good news is we are not starting from scratch on this. I was at Longford Women’s Link recently, which is a superb organisation. In rural County Longford, I met women completing degree programmes entirely remotely, but Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, accredited and the likes with, I think, the South East Technological University and possibly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Rigorous.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for following me around and for her contribution. They are all very valid and serious issues she raised. First, I was going to make the point that Catherine’s Law was an example. The Deputy knows Catherine Gallagher and I have met her as well when I went to pay tribute to her. It is an example of how joined-up thinking and a bit of common sense is needed and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Senator was not rambling. She was very cogent on a lot of issues. I thank the Senator for her work with the Minster of State, Deputy Niall Collins, and with me in highlighting the need for the programme for access to higher education, PATH. I acknowledge the Senator's own experience and advocacy around Down's syndrome. It was a good example of how we were able to take an issue,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Chair and this committee for its work. It is a very valuable addition to the work of the Oireachtas. From my own perspective and that of my Department we do not see this as a once-off engagement. We will publish the national access plan. That is a higher education document but we will be publishing it shortly. I imagine the committee will want to be kept informed on that and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Senator is right about funding for staff and student training around awareness. The committee identified it as an area that needs real acceleration. From September, under the funding I referred to earlier, PATH 4, every college in Ireland will get an allocation for universal design. It is up to them what they do with it because they are autonomous. There is a list of things they can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Yes.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) was introduced as part of a series of reforms to the student immigration system for international education in line with the Government decision of 19 May 2015. These reforms have been designed to - tackle abuse of the immigration regime, - tackle abuse of the labour market, - improve the overall quality of offering to international students, -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware I have already made improvements to the non-adjacent distance criteria in Budget 2022 for the 2022/23 academic year, reducing the criteria from 45km to 30km to support students who must travel long-distances to their place of education. The table below sets out the estimated number of students that would be affected by changing the SUSI distance criteria from 30km...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 416 and 433 together. The information sought by the Deputy, in regard to the National Training Fund levy in PQ 38641/22 and PQ 38460/22, is being collated with assistance from colleagues of the Department of Social Protection. This Department will supply the information to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is allocated to Higher Education Institutions to assist participating students in both temporary and ongoing financial need, where students apply depending on their particular circumstances. This fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS)....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 to 421, inclusive, together. Innovate for Ireland (I4I) is an innovative programme aimed at attracting and retaining research talent in Ireland. The purpose of the programme is to attract high achieving world class talent who might not have considered undertaking a PhD programme or, if they had, would not have considered Ireland as a location. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached table. Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Role Annual salary Minister €183,923 Minister of State €141,657 Role Annual salary or salary scale Secretary General...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 sets out the conditions for tax relief on tuition fees for higher education. Relief at the standard rate of tax is available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Details on eligibility and further information on how to claim this relief can be found online here:...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The majority of staff employed by my Department are recruited via the Public Appointments Service (PAS). I understand that all recruitment activities are undertaken by the PAS in line with the Commission for Public Service Appointment's (CPSA) Code of Practice for Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service and Public Service ensuring equity, fairness, equal opportunity, diversity and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: At the outset it is important to highlight the very substantial financial support, currently well in excess of half a billion euros, provided by the taxpayer towards tuition fees and the student contribution for students in higher education. This comprises State funding of tuition costs amounting to over €357m for more than 146,000 eligible higher education students in 2020/2021. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: Officials from my Department are currently liaising with SUSI on this matter. Due to the complex nature of the query it is not possible to give the Deputy an answer at this stage. Once the information has been collated it will be forwarded to the Deputy directly in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 Jul 2022)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. Currently Postgraduate...