Results 8,301-8,320 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

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...

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

Simon Harris: With all this new-politics stuff, the power of persuasion has changed my mind, but I am not going to accept amendment No. 131, for the reasons I outlined. I am sure we can reflect on it between now and Report Stage. I will accept amendment No. 130 because I believe the Deputy is right. The institutions are already committing to a cultural element in their strategic development plans. The...

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

Simon Harris: I very much appreciate the work the Deputy is doing in respect of equity of access and I agree that through her work and that of my officials we have tried to strengthen equity of access provision throughout the Bill. This section, however, relates to the private colleges. We had a debate on this earlier in terms of private versus public and the likes. The way we pursue access to education...

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

Simon Harris: That is an interesting one. I will have to go back to previous sections, but I am satisfied that in the context of institutions we are funding, the Bill provides an ability for the HEA to attach conditions to funding. That is one of the significant benefits of the Bill. We can consider that and see whether the Deputy is satisfied it is strong enough but, where we do not fund the...

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. As the Chairman indicated, amendment No. 134 tabled by Deputy Ó Ríordáin and amendment No. 135 that I have brought forward are alternatives in the sense that they are both trying to achieve the same thing. I would argue that my amendment achieves what Deputy Ó Ríordáin is seeking to achieve, which is a legitimate point that I heard from the...

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

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 135: In page 58, line 4, to delete "concerned about" and substitute "of opinion that there are significant concerns regarding".

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

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 137: In page 58, line 26, after "may" to insert ", with the approval of the Board,". Amendments Nos. 137 and 138 provide that the chief executive of the HEA requires board approval for the publication of a report of a review under section 64. This is important where there is potential reputational risk to an institution. It is the view of the sector and, I suspect,...

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

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 138: In page 58, line 27, to delete "as he or she considers" and substitute "as the Board considers".

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

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 139a: In page 59, to delete lines 8 and 9.