Results 7,741-7,760 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Issues (7 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 353, 354 and 355, inclusive, together. In 2022, my Department’s budget for Research, Innovation and Science is €255m. This represents 8.5% of my Department’s voted allocation for 2022. HEIs also fund R&I from their block allocations, but have autonomy in how that funding is applied. My Department provides funding for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (7 Apr 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. Assessment of means...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (7 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Doctoral education programmes in Ireland educate and develop researchers to the highest skills levels so that they become creative, critical and independent individuals who will advance the boundaries of research. Through the process of doctoral education, the student is provided with opportunities to develop a range of skills to a very advanced level. These skills relate both to the research...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (7 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department currently has one member of staff based and working with the European Union in Brussels, as Research and Innovation Attaché in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union. The officer represents Ireland at the Working Party on Research. The Working Party on Research handles matters in the research and innovation area, including legislation, before they...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Defibrillators Provision (7 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department shares a number of office locations with the Department of Education. I have been in touch with their officials and can confirm that defibrillators are available in the shared locations in Athlone, Tullamore and Marlborough Street. My Department also has an office located on St Stephen's Green, I can confirm that a defibrillator is available at this location. In addition, my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (7 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science came into existence in 2020. Prior to the department's establishment the information regarding consultancy was managed and published by the Department of Education and is available at www.gov.ie/en/collection/department-of-education-and-skills- expenditure-on-consultancy/. The data in respect of 2021 are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 155 together. With the establishment of my Department in October 2020, the Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 451/2020) transferred functions vested in the Minister for Education to me. These functions included those under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: During the 2020/2021 academic year, statistics from the Higher Education Authority show that there were 49,658 students studying at all levels in our publicly funded institutions on a part time basis. The costs of extending the SUSI grant scheme to these part time students would depend on an assessment to see if they meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I am aware of the difficulties faced by students across the country including at the University of Limerick in relation to obtaining affordable accommodation and my Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are working closely together to address relevant issues where possible. The final allocation of accommodation by each higher education institution is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 159, 160 and 161 together. The development of a new National Strategy for Research and Innovation is a key commitment in the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan 2021, which sets out the “dual ambition of placing research, development and innovation at the heart of addressing Ireland’s economic and societal challenges, and building...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: There are no officially published statistics for 2022 which provide the full information covering expenditure on higher education as a proportion of national income of the type requested by the Deputy. It is therefore not possible to definitively calculate the costs sought. For International comparisons I can advise that the OECD, as part of its Education at a Glance publication,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (6 Apr 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: Technological Universities (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Following the establishment of South East Technological University on 01 May 2022, there will be just two stand alone Institutes of Technology remaining on the higher education landscape. Both these Institutes are pursuing separate trajectories to achieve technological university (TU) status and both are receiving Transformation Fund assistance. In addition, Dundalk Institute of Technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Most apprentices complete part of their off-the-job training in a higher education institution, for which they are required to pay a student contribution. The amount payable is a proportion of the annual student contribution for students attending a full-time course in higher education. Please find attached the annual student contribution charge for each consortia-led apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the total amount spent each year on each form of apprenticeship support since 2006 is being compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the rates of support for an apprentice under each support scheme since 2006 is being compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: The Government is committed under the Action Plan to working with employers to promote, enable, and support the recruitment and training of apprentices. There is a very substantial allocation of resources to apprenticeships drawing on the funding raised through the Employer Training Levy into the National Training Fund. Therefore, apprenticeships are not a direct cost to the exchequer. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: Craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the 64 existing available apprenticeship programmes. They comprise of a standard seven phase programme of alternating on-the-job and off-the-job phases. The off-the-job training for these programmes is delivered in Training Centres, Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities The full estimated projected figure of fully qualified...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (6 Apr 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 There are currently 64 apprenticeship programmes on offer ranging from levels 5-10 on the National...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Ó Ríordáin and Conway-Walsh for the amendments which, as they have said, largely refer to how we define and protect the autonomy and independence of a student union. Deputy Conway-Walsh had a view on the definition of a trade union. I will deal with the student union piece first. I am supportive of what Deputy Ó Ríordáin is trying to...