Results 8,821-8,840 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: There are currently 74 projects at various stages of the project lifecycle across the further and higher education sectors, as set out in the table below. While a small number of further education projects are excepted to be completed by the end of 2021 the majority of projects are due to be completed across 2022 and 2023. Lifecycle Stage Higher Education SectorNo. of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The new National Development Plan (NDP) provides for a step up in capital funding for the further education and training (FET) sector. It is envisaged that expenditure will increase from less than €20m last year to approximately €100m by 2025. While the previous NDP introduced, for the first time, a dedicated capital envelope for the FET sector, the new NDP will now enable a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the 8 State Boards that fall within the remit of my Department, is provided in the attached table. Name of Aegis Body the number of members of each board the number of women on each board; % of board that is made up of women An tSeirbhís Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: In order to qualify for funding under the Department's Free Fees Initiative students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the separate residency and nationality/citizenship requirements in their own right. In order to meet the residency criteria a student must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Progression is a key tenet of the Student Grant Scheme and section 2 of the Student Support Act 2011 defines progression as "the process by which learners may transfer from one course to another course where the award that may be made on the successful completion of the second mentioned course is of a higher level..." Students accessing graduate entry medicine will, as a matter of course,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Department's Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible first time undergraduate students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including previous education attainment. In this regard students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 391 together. In July I announced Government approval for €105 million for the third level sector to safely reopen in September 2021 in line with public health advice. The package will include financial support for further and higher education to return on-site safely in line with public health advice and additional supports for students in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Cavan ETB has identified the development of the site of the former Army Barracks in Cavan as an opportunity to centralise further education and training provision and eliminate the need for various rented accommodation arrangements around Cavan town. Plans are currently being advanced by the ETB for interim temporary accommodation for Cavan Institute on the Barracks site. Funding was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The details regarding procurements that took place by way of negotiated procedure without prior publication in 2020 and 2021 for my department are listed in tabular form below. No such contract was placed in 2020 and a single contract was awarded so far in 2021 with a value of €350,000. This cost will be paid in the coming months of 2021. Department of Further and Higher Education,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Unions (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Significant additional Funding has been made available to support students under recent budgets and through the Return to Education Packages for 2020 and 2021. The principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. The budgetary provision for the Student Grant Scheme in 2021 is €364.5m. The Student Grant Scheme provides grant assistance to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (12 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: The main support provided by my Department in terms of financial supports is the Student Grant Scheme. The Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance to students attending an approved full-time course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (5 Oct 2021)

Simon Harris: Strategic Performance Agreements between SOLAS and each of the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs), set out Further Education and Training (FET) direction and commitments over a three year period, including each ETB’s contribution to national FET system targets. The agreements stipulate how ETBs will deliver on national policy and strategies while reflecting the evolving social and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) collects statistical data on the number of medical students in the higher education institutions. The HEA does not collect data on the various disciplines that they are studying. The following tables shows the numbers of first year medical enrolments for the most recent academic years, broken down by domicile group. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: I would welcome strong engagement by Northern Ireland with Horizon Europe. InterTradeIreland supports North/South collaboration between researchers and innovators on the Framework Programmes.  My Department continues to work closely with InterTradeIreland to facilitate collaborative opportunities which will arise from Horizon Europe. All aspects of the UK’s association to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (30 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: Universities and Institutes of Technology determine their own procedures for admission.  The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions are made by the Higher Education Institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (23 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education. Higher education institutions are responsible for the assessment of student applications to study and responsible for determining the appropriate fee rates payable by a student. In this regard my department does not have a role in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Tests (23 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: The Government’s intention is to strengthen the prevention and intervention measures around COVID-19 in response to the changing context including surveillance, track and trace, and potential use of new technology. My Department recognises the potential role of rapid antigen testing as one part of a package of surveillance and vigilance measures that could also include self-monitoring...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (23 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: The Interdepartmental Working Group on Student Accommodation last met on 30th June. The key issues discussed were the progress made on actions outlined in the National Student Accommodation Strategy, and a discussion of the planned Residential Tenancies (No.2) Act and its impact on student accommodation. The Act was subsequently passed on July 9th. It restricts the up-front payments...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (23 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: The National Student Accommodation Strategy is designed to ensure that there is an increased level of supply of purpose built student accommodation to reduce the demand for accommodation in the private rental sector by both domestic and international students attending our Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Several of the actions in this strategy centre around ensuring that HEIs have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (22 Sep 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147, 148 and 153 together. Following Government approval, I published A Safe Return: Plan for a safe return to on-site Further and Higher Education and Research in 2021/22 on 15th June. The Safe Return Plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bcd91-a-safe-return-to-on-site-fur ther-and-higher-education-and-research/ The...