Results 9,261-9,280 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled. I will arrange for an early response to issue directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2021 set a participation target of 10% for students who are new entrants to higher education and their basis for admission is a further education and training qualification for 2019.  The 2018 Progress Review of the NAP shows that participation increased from 6.6% at the commencement of the NAP to 7.3% in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The third National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2015 – 2019) was launched in December 2015. A progress review published in 2018 extended the lifetime of the current Plan to 2021. A commitment of this current National Access Plan (NAP) was to hold annual forums to report progress to stakeholders on progress made under NAP and to inform future...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 455 together. Up until recently, the HEA collected data on the socioeconomic background of students through the Equal Access Survey, which is an annual voluntary set of questions asked of all first-year undergraduate new entrant students to HEA funded higher education institutions. Since 2017/18, the use of Deprivation Index Scores (DIS) has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The table below provides a summary of full-time mature new entrants in higher education (as a percentage of all new entrants) since 2015/2016. The National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2021 (NAP) was launched in December 2015, and aims to ensure that the student body entering, participating in, and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2021 (NAP) was launched in December 2015, and aims to ensure that the student body entering, participating in, and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population.  Students with disabilities are specifically identified as a target group within the NAP. A...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The HEA collect data on enrolments for undergraduate and postgraduate which includes remote learners. The table attached gives the percentage of undergraduate and postgraduate students in each of the years requested.  The total proportion of students studying on a part-time or flexible basis has increased from 19.2% in 2014/15 to 23% in 2019/20.The data given for the 2019/20 year is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The number of Traveller students in higher education comes from the Equal Access Survey which is an annual voluntary set of questions asked of all first-year undergraduate new entrant students to HEA funded higher education institutions.  Gathering accurate data on Irish Traveller participation is difficult and is influenced by varying response rates to the survey. In 2020, the HEA...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 461 together. On 22 July 2020, the Government approved a €168 million package of supports for the further and higher education sectors to deal with the impacts of COVID-19. €15 million of this was earmarked for devices to support disadvantaged students. The decision to allocate funding in this area responded to concerns raised by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: I should first explain that the relationship between Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)  Research Centres and their industry partner should not be perceived as purely transactional.  The agreements (Contract Research Agreement) that companies enter with SFI Research Centres are to engage in deeply collaborative research projects.    As of end 2020 1,034 Contract Research...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The number of academic staff working within Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres is 757.  I assume that by “PhD researchers” the Deputy means PhD students of which there are currently 1,231 carrying out their work at SFI Research Centres. A detailed breakdown of the number of staff on permanent contracts or otherwise is not available. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The data in the Research and Development Budget Survey is compiled annually from a comprehensive survey of Government Departments and Agencies. This year’s survey is still in the field and I expect its publication in Q4 this year.  The estimated public expenditure is €817m for 2020 and €905 for 2021.  Estimated figures for 2022 are not available.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: Springboard+ 2021 was launched on 14th June 2021, providing 10,158 places on 294 courses. As a result of multi-annual funding of graduate conversion courses, this leads to a combined total of 13,128 places in 399 courses available in the 2021/22 academic year under Springboard+ 2021 and HCI Pillar 1. Attached is the average number of European credit transfer and accumulation system (ECTS)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Early School Leavers (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The Youthreach programme is a national programme of education and training for early school leavers.   The Youthreach programme provides two years integrated education, training and work experience for unemployed early school leavers without any qualifications or vocational training, who are between 16 and 21 years of age. The programme offers participants the opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: It is estimated that there were a total of 32,727 full-time equivalents persons working in R&D across all the sectors of the economy in 2020.  This figure is made up of the R&D personnel in the Business, Higher Education and Government sectors as outlined in the table below. 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 (est) ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: Springboard+ complements the core State-funded education and training system and provides free and subsidised upskilling and reskilling higher education opportunities in areas of identified skills need. Springboard+ 2021 was launched on 14th June 2021. Attached is the number of course participants/ places taken up each year since 2011 with the breakdown between public and private education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Policies (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, following the Government Decision of 26thJune 2018, Ireland opted in to the EU (recast) Receptions Conditions Directive (2013/22/EU). Under this Directive, eligible international protection applicants who have their permission to work may be entitled to avail of further education and training (FET) in the same manner as Irish citizens, including VTOS. It should be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: The information in respect of state bodies within the scope of the Deputy’s question is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly with their query. Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: First Aid Training (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: As the deputy will be aware, higher education institutions are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation and are academically and administratively independent. This includes in relation to training offered within these institutions, and it is not within my remit to determine what training is offered in any higher education instution. However I recognise the importance of access to CPR...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (22 Jun 2021)

Simon Harris: Science Foundation Ireland's competitive funding does not curently support research involving human embryos or embryonic stem cells. I can confirm this is also the position with research funding provided by the Health Research Board. You will be aware that Government approval was granted for the drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research,...