Results 8,701-8,720 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (19 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Text of PQ changed as agreed with Deputy's office to "the anticipated percentage split in the spending in each academic year 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 of the €35 million SUSI package announced as part of Budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. As part of Budget 2022, I have secured an additional €15m/43% to enhance the existing financial supports under the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (19 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The total 2020/2021 allocation to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) was €18.2m. - This is made up of baseline core funding of €8.1m; - €1 million ring-fenced core funding for the support of part-time students who are lone parents or members of the other access target groups identified in the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education; - An additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (19 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: In 2020, a comprehensive package of financial supports from Government for the higher education and further education and training sectors was secured to mitigate the impact of Covid. This package included funding of €3m to underpin wellbeing and mental health and student services in our higher education institutions (HEIs) which was in addition to the €2m funding that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (19 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Gardeners and craft workers are employees of Higher Education Institutions. Employees have a number of industrial relation mechanisms available to them to address queries on employment matters, with either their employer or their union representatives. An issue has been brought to my Department's attention in relation to one particular university and I understand local mechanisms are being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Properties (14 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The acquisition of Government offices is the responsibility of Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works, which acts as an agent for all Government Departments. I can confirm for the Deputy that my Department does not own or manage any buildings in Blanchardstown village, Dublin 15.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (14 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Marino Institute of Education is a private charitable trust under the co-trusteeship of the European Province of the Congregation of Christian Brothers and Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin offering a range of educational programmes including primary initial teacher education (ITE), early childhood education and further education. The Department of Education currently funds...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The SUSI changes will be introduced in the next academic year.

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I hope to respond to several of the issues raised by my colleague, Deputy Howlin, but it would require more time to respond substantively to his points on climate, housing and health. I look forward to debating that and would very much contend that the Government has robust strategies in those three areas. A fair comment would be that it will be on the implementation of those strategies...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I assure the Deputy that the campus in Wexford is under way.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: No single budget solves all of the challenges people face but the Deputy's critical analysis of the budget would have more validity if he acknowledged some of the positive steps we have taken in recent weeks, days and months. Those steps include the significant investment in the student assistance fund that has been widely welcomed by students, the significant increase in mental health...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I will do that and I thank Deputy Griffin for bringing me around Tralee. Deputy Boyd Barrett suggested I should talk to students and I do so all the time. They are not the preserve or ownership of any single side of this House. We need to do more in student supports and we took significant actions yesterday. We could not rectify everything in one budget but it is a statement of intent by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Reform (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the question and for her passionate advocacy, to put it mildly, on Carlow College, St. Patrick's and all things Carlow. I always welcome working with her on these projects and I look forward to us delivering a technological university for the south east in 2022. As the Deputy knows, Carlow College, St. Patrick's is a privately run education institution operating...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Reform (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is upping the pressure on me. The Taoiseach regularly passes on the Deputy's strong advocacy and we are determined to work with her to rectify this matter. I need to point out the technological university will be autonomous in its functions. The decision we are taking to provide expert advice to Carlow College, St. Patrick's is the best way to go about this and I look forward to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank all colleagues for contributing to this debate and Deputy Carroll MacNeill for tabling this question. I will certainly follow up on the points they have made. I do not believe I have met representatives of the organisation Deputy Stanton mentioned but I will make it my business to do so. I fully agree with Deputy Conway-Walsh's point. I do not profess to be an expert on this, but...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research Funding (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this question and for consistently working with me and keeping my Department under good pressure to make sure we do all we can to keep those strong higher education, research and science links that exist between North and South. This is another example of those links. The Government and I strongly support Northern Ireland’s participation in Horizon...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research Funding (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The Government gave a clear commitment, as did the previous Government, to ensuring that Northern Ireland is never left behind and we are going to honour that commitment in every way we can. I am not in any way disputing the valid points the Deputy made, but I welcome the fact that under the current agreement it is envisaged that the UK, and therefore Northern Ireland, will have access to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Research Funding (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: As part of our development of a new national research and innovation strategy, which I expect to have concluded by the end of the year, we will set a new national target for Horizon Europe. I share the Deputy's wish and desire for us to do more, do even better, draw down as much funding as possible and collaborate as much as we possibly can. Our top countries for collaborations are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Of course the Deputy can put that to me but he will not be surprised when I utterly reject it. I have already given my view on Mr. Keegan's comments and I will not take up time on that. We have taken a number of measures, including in recent days, to assist with student welfare, student mental health and student incomes. I refer to the pandemic unemployment payment and the significant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for all her work, interest and engagement with me on this issue. I am pleased the allocation we secured yesterday in the budget for the national access plan specifically references students with intellectual disabilities. We have made a great deal of progress, as a country, and we have more to do on a number of disabilities. Based on the figures the Deputy gave, we have...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (13 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy is 100% correct. I recall from my time in the Department of Health, there would be a discussion on school leavers every year. I found it slightly insulting, because the discussion was on what we would do about a day care or a respite place. These are very important provisions, on which we need to do more, but they are not the totality. At the time children were talking to their...