Results 9,181-9,200 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scientific Research (8 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282, 286 and 290 together. I and my Department are determined to be the driver of a vibrant sector which produces individuals who are equipped with the skills that they need to progress in the way that they wish to, and in a way that meets the needs of our evolving economy and contributes to an inclusive society. There are a number of key strategies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 284, 288 and 289 together. The further and higher education sectors have a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified higher education graduates and apprentices, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Labour Market (8 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The further and higher education sectors have a number of key strategies and policies in place at all levels to ensure that the educational opportunities being offered align with existing and future skills demands, including the requirement for innovation skills. The identification of skills priorities to help inform and shape planning for graduate output from higher and further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Educational Institutions (8 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: 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. I recently wrote to our higher education institutions advising them that two surveys will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (7 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (7 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware that there are various income thresholds used depending on the type of grant, family size etc. While SUSI has statistics on those students who have applied for grant support and can estimate with some degree of certainty, what impact changes to the thresholds might have for those students on lower income levels, the accuracy of its estimates become less reliable at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (7 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: In 2019, in response to steep increases in the price of some student accommodation, legislation was brought in to ensure that students would have the same affordability measures as tenants within Rent Pressure Zones. Student accommodation will be similarly included in any future measures brought in around Rent Pressure Zones and caps on rent increases. Under the Residential Tenancies...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (7 Jul 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: Cybersecurity Policy (7 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: Research projects often encompass a multitude of subjects, and are funded by multiple sources including public, private and European funding. At present it is not possible to determine an exact figure for R&D expenditure across the system on this specific area. My Department is progressing a standard classification system for public expenditure on research for Ireland, which is intended...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: An Teanga Gaeilge (7 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: Tá tiomantas an ÚAO chun tacú leis an nGaeilge mar atá cumhdaithe in Acht an ÚAO 1971: “Ag comhlíonadh a fheidhmeanna don Údarás coimeádfaidh sé i gcuimhne i gcónaí na haidhmeanna náisiúnta atá ann an Ghaeilge a aisiriú agus an tsaíocht náisiúnta a chaomhnú agus a fhorbairt agus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Vaccination Programme (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The management of the vaccination programme is a matter for the HSE, in line with guidelines from the High Level Task Force on COVID 19 Vaccination. The priority of this Government is to support the roll-out of the programme in accordance with the guidelines published. The latest position is that people aged 18 – 34 years who wish to seek accelerated vaccination can seek access to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The National Training Fund, under the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, has paid €609,275 negative interest since negative interest rates were introduced. Please see attached table which breaks this down by year. To note that prior to the formation of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018, and are therefore academically and administratively independent. This includes in relation to how courses are delivered, and it is not within my remit to determine whether individual courses are delivered...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The HEA collect data on enrolments of students with a disability data by way of the Equal Access Survey for full-time undergraduate 1st year new entrants, where respondents can self-identify as having a disability. This survey does not provide details on how many of these students came from the Irish second level school system. The table attached gives the undergraduate data for the most...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The HEA collect data on enrolments of students with a disability by way of the Equal Access Survey where respondents can self identify as having a disability. Therefore these numbers are only an indication as the data only captures graduates that were full-time undergraduate 1st years in the same HEI. The postgraduate level data can only be used as s reference guide, since linking is based...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Freedom of Information (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 416 to 418, inclusive, together. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was established on 2nd August 2020. Since its establishment, my Department has refused no FOI requests on the basis that the search, retrieval & copying fees exceeded the threshold. It has not been necessary to engage with any...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: Universities are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and have autonomy in relation to human resource policies, subject to compliance with Government policy in respect of employment numbers and pay policy, and are not under the direct control of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Universities have their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that the HEAR scheme is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) www.iua.ie. The IUA set the policy criteria for the scheme. Admissions under the schemes are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the schemes, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (6 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to...