Results 8,721-8,740 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am very conscious of the difficulties that students, like so many others in society, face as a result of the increased costs of living.  For students and their families this includes not just costs such as accommodation and food but also education-specific costs such as tuition fees and the student contribution.  I have regular meetings with the USI and engagement with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Carlow College, St. Patrick's is a privately run education institution operating outside the publicly funded higher education system. The institution plays a key role in the provision of third level education in the Carlow region. I have been delighted to meet with representatives of the college to discuss future plans and to visit Carlow College myself to meet learners and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. In general, the SAF has a dual focus, it is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and provide emergency financial assistance for other students. The core funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department. My ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of vulnerable learners, the most marginalised and those with special and additional needs.  The Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) Supporting DEIS Learners Transition to FET Steering Group...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship more accessible to employers and learners, to achieve a target of 10,000 annual registrations across a wide range of programmes by 2025. Expansion to date has widened the impact of apprenticeship to areas of skills shortage such as engineering,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Glactar le samhail na comhrialála sa reachtaíocht agus dá réir sin foráiltear go bhfuil gach institiúid ardoideachais freagrach go príomha as a cuid rialachais féin taobh istigh de chreat foriomlán feidhmíochta agus rialála don earnáil. Neartaíonn an tsamhail sin neamhspleáchas na n-institiúidí agus ceadaíonn...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am very conscious of the difficulties that students, like so many others in society, face as a result of the increased costs of living.  For students and their families this includes not just costs such as accommodation and food but also education-specific costs such as the student contribution.  I have regular meetings with the USI and engagement with students across the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his question on this important matter. Our higher education institutions have a duty of care to their students and staff, and a responsibility to foster a campus culture that is clear in the condemnation of unwanted and unacceptable behaviours, which act as barriers to their safety and their active participation in college life. Significant progress has been made...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: My objective as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, is to ensure that there is access into either further or higher education for each person who wishes to pursue educational options at third-level. Access to higher education in Ireland is very open by international standards, with our population of 25-34 year-olds having the highest level of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 407 together. Education and training related to retrofitting and broader construction sector skills is delivered across the full remit of Further and Higher Education (through apprenticeship; non-apprenticeship further education and training (FET) and Higher Education (HE)) and through mainstream education and training as well as through specific...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The National Development Plan (NDP) provides for a step up in capital funding and a significantly more ambitious phase of capital investment in the FET sector.  My Department has worked closely with SOLAS in building up the governance, strategic framework and delivery capability required to underpin and support this major programme of FET investment. In February this year,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets a target of 10,000 annual apprentice registrations by 2025. In 2021 there were a record 8,607 registrations- up from 6,177 for 2019, the last pre-COVID full year, and the highest annual registrations since the 2006 figure of 8,306. This shows the high degree of interest in this career option amongst both employers and potential apprentices. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I recognise that cost can be major factor for many people in accessing higher education, and I am committed to delivering on the Programme for Government’s commitments regarding SUSI.  In addition to commissioning a major review of the scheme, I have also prioritised expansion and reform of the scheme in budgetary allocations. I commissioned a major review of the Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the 62 existing available apprenticeship programmes. Given the practical nature of off-the-job training for craft apprentices, the COVID-related shutdown of on-site learning activity significantly impacted their ability to access off-the-job training. In response, capital funding of €20m was provided in 2020 to extend and upgrade craft...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is committed to playing its part in moving towards a more sustainable economy, particularly as articulated in the Climate Action Plan 2021, National Retrofit Plan and the EGFSN report Skills for a Zero Carbon Economy and drawing on international developments such as the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Officials in my Department have been undertaking am examination of the issues in relation to academic support activities of PhD students.  This has been done in collaboration with the Irish Universities Association  and Technological Higher Education Association and the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education. This work includes looking at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am committed to resolving the issue of the funding model for higher education as a matter of priority. This is essential in ensuring that our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and achieve critical outcomes for our economy and society. The Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The development of new apprenticeships is employer-led, with consortia comprising employer groups and educational providers coming together to identify a skills need and appropriate apprenticeship responses in their sector. It is open to any industry that wishes to explore such options to bring forward a proposal. Applications for new apprenticeship development are open on an ongoing basis,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that my Department’s agencies, the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland, currently have initiatives in place to bring researchers closer to the work of the Oireachtas and to connect elected representatives with the world leading research that is happening in Ireland. In July 2018 the Irish Research Council launched its Oireachtas Shadowing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that Government formally ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2018 and it entered into force on 19 April 2018. The Convention seeks to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. ...