Results 8,101-8,120 of 47,419 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: We can certainly agree that retaining and recruiting the best talent into our country is key. It is key to our future economic and social well-being. That is why in Impact 2030, Ireland's national research and innovation strategy, we quite rightly place a real focus on the researchers themselves. This review stems from that and from listening directly to researchers and postgraduate...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for highlighting this important issue. By any objective measure, there has been an unprecedented level of focus on apprenticeships by my Department since its creation. In fact, I would argue that one of the big benefits of the establishment of my Department two and a half years ago was a policy focus on the area of apprenticeship, whether through the apprenticeship action...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for the question. She is correct; the Government decision this week allocated an additional €32 million to HEIs for the provision of, as she said, 667 additional units. As the Deputy probably knows, they are in Maynooth, Galway and Limerick. I can come back on some of those details in a moment. My Department has been engaged intensively in examining...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I welcome the Deputy's welcome. I think there was political consensus in the House the State should intervene in providing funding to build college-owned student accommodation. We might have differing views but there was a general consensus across the House that needed to happen and it is now happening. If it does not sound too peculiar to say, I contend it is wrong to focus on the 667....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: There are two elements here. Everybody benefits from extra supply. If we take Maynooth University, we know for every person who got a student accommodation bed on campus this year there were six applications. Therefore, even at current market rates there is demand for more. To be clear, what we are funding are not-for-profit units. We are funding publicly-funded institutions to deliver...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. We have obviously introduced some measures in the budget as an immediate and tangible relief against some of the challenges of the rising cost of living. This included a once-off payment in 2022 of €500 for PhD students who receive an Irish Research Council, IRC, or Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, award and a €500 increase to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The Higher Education Authority recently sought expressions of interest from higher education institutions interested in building capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary. This process has been designed to respond swiftly to national skills needs, and Expressions of Interest were sought from institutions with capability to expand existing courses or create new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I am acutely conscious of the cost of living challenges facing students and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address cost as a barrier to education. As part of the 2022 cost of living response in the recent Budget, I prioritised the introduction of a significant package of measures to directly support students and their families. These measures include, for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to the achievement of ambitious targets for offshore wind generation capacity by 2030. In that context, my Department is participating on a cross-Departmental Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce established under the Department of Energy, Climate and Communications to drive delivery and capture wider and longer term economic and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: At present, the student grant scheme is targeted at full-time students. Courses that are part-time, less than two years in duration, conducted online or as distance courses or which lead to a special purpose or distance award are not currently approved for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme. However, I have been consistent in my position that we need to develop our student support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: As is clear from the actions already taken in Budget 2023, the Government is committed to improving the position of those on PhD stipends, in the context of the resources available and competing needs. With that in mind, as an immediate and tangible relief against the challenges of the rising cost of living, I was pleased to introduce: - a once off payment in 2022 of €500 for PhD...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for giving me an opportunity to update the House on the progress which has been made in providing bursaries for the most disadvantaged students. I launched the fourth National Access Plan- a Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education in August. This Plan identifies priority groups to support and sets out our vision for how we...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: A key principle of the design of the free fees initiative and the SUSI scheme is to encourage progression, that is, to support students in progressing through a chosen course of study from year to year. As a result, students are not typically supported for a repeat period of study or for a different course at the same level. This is to ensure that the limited resources available are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The current Further Education Strategy - Future FET: Transforming Learning - maps the immediate future of further education to 2024.This strategy is very much about positioning and building the capacity of further education institutions for the future, and beyond 2024. Within this strategy, the three key pillars are building skills, fostering inclusion and creating pathways.These pillars...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The South East Technological University was established on 1 May 2022, exactly seven months ago today; and simultaneously, IT Carlow and Waterford IT were dissolved. My Department is committed to continuing to support all of the new TUs in developing their structures and capabilities to deliver on their ambitious agenda for their regions. Exchequer funding has been provided to support...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The decision on whether or not a student is eligible for a student grant is a matter for SUSI, the centralised student grant awarding authority, to determine. If a student considers that they have been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the right one, they may appeal to SUSI in the first instance. As of 20 November 2022, SUSI had received 4,879 appeals...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: A key priority for my Department has been to ensure third level education is accessible for everyone. While data is not available on students who do not take up courses, I absolutely recognise that cost has the potential to be a barrier to entry and participation. That is why, as part of the Government's overall response to cost-of-living pressures, I announced a wide-ranging package of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) Coonagh Campus Phase 1 project is currently in the procurement phase. Approval to publish the Contract Notice was provided to TUS on 4 August 2022 and further approval to proceed to tender was provided to the University on 1 November 2022. The procurement process is ongoing with the deadline for tender returns currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: The Ireland/OECD Skills Strategy Project is taking place across four phases, scoping, assessment, recommendations and publication. The project is examining four key areas - governance of the skills ecosystem, lifelong learning, innovation, and balance in the type of skills needed. We are now in the recommendations phase with a final report expected in March 2023. My Department leads...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Dec 2022)

Simon Harris: Section 9 of the Further Education and Training Act 2013 requires SOLAS to submit a further education and training strategy every 5 years to the Minister for approval. The first FET Strategy covered the period 2014-19. The current FET Strategy Future FET, Transforming Learningcovers the period 2020-2024 and includes three core three core pillars of building skills, fostering inclusion, and...