Results 9,321-9,340 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The devolved capital grant allocation for 2021 facilitates higher institutions to address a number of key capital investment priorities including the procurement of additional ICT devices, i.e. laptops and other devices, to support disadvantaged students who have difficulty in accessing a suitable device for their studies. The laptop grant scheme is managed by each institution. Therefore the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: There are three higher education projects that have been delivered to date, by way of Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract. The National Maritime College of Ireland and Cork School of Music, which are part of Munster Technological University, are now well over half way through the PPP contract period. The most recently delivered PPP project is the East and Central Quads at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: At this time, the TU Dublin property disposal strategy has yielded some €172 million, all of which will be reinvested in the Grangegorman development, mostly Programme 3. The Central & East Quad buildings were delivered by way of a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) PPP contract, and therefore most of the costs will be payable by way of monthly unitary...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: A key mission for TUs is the building of research capacity and the promotion of innovation and its diffusion, through support for firm-level innovation, developing research centres and gateways in established and emerging regional clusters and ensuring that the research system in the regions is internationally connected. In respect of competitive funding calls carried out by Science...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: There are a number of ongoing (non PPP) higher education investment projects which support the TUs and IOTs. Currently there are 27 capital projects approved or under way in the TU/IOT sector. These projects are approved for €106m in Exchequer funding. My Department is also reviewing the parameters of the next phase of Exchequer capital investment in the higher education sector...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The information regarding the Allocation and Expenditure each year since 2012 for Science Foundation Ireland is set out in the following document. SFI funding for next year will be confirmed once the Revised Estimates Volume 2022 has been published. In the meantime, I can confirm that NRRP funding is included in my Department’s overall NDP ceilings as set out in the recent NDP review....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department is currently seeking to progress a sector wide borrowing framework for TUs in line with the recommendations of the 2019 TURN report. Although at a relatively preliminary stage, it is anticipated that in the first instance any borrowing framework would prioritise the provision of purpose built student accommodation in line with commitments in the Government's Housing for All plan.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: I remain committed to expanding the imprint of higher education across the south east region. IT Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) have been very clear that the new TU will serve the entire South East region. This will include a larger footprint for higher education in Waterford and the acquisition of a site to accommodate a purpose-built campus in Wexford. WIT is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The design, including costing, of models of academic programme delivery remains a matter for agreement by the relevant applicant institutes seeking to become a TU and as such, my Department was not involved in the process referred to by the Deputy in the case of the TUSEI consortium comprising IT Carlow and Waterford IT. Government has demonstrated and I have reiterated on many occasions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department has no responsibility for the agreement of any extension of contractual arrangements, should such be the case, as the TUSEI consortium of IT Carlow and Waterford IT is the contracting party for the services of the consultancy firm referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department does not hold individualised data of learners in further and higher education. Such data is held by SOLAS in the Programme and Learner Support Systems (PLSS) and by the HEA in their Student Records System (SRS), as well as by the further and higher education institutions themselves. As such, analysis of learner data is typically undertaken by the Statistics Unit in the HEA or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: This data is not collected on an annual basis. Data on the transition rate from further to higher education was collated as part of a working paper on the topic, published in 2020. Two different measures of the transition rate were identified. The first is CAO acceptances. In 2017 7.3% (3,517) of CAO acceptances were by candidates who were offered their course on the basis of a QQI/FET...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (16 Nov 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: Departmental Reports (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that my officials have received a copy of the McHugh report and are reviewing its contents.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of delivering the project using “traditional” public sector procurement. The National Maritime College of Ireland, which is part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of delivering the project using “traditional” public sector procurement. The Cork School of Music, which is part of Munster...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: As the deputy is aware, the Carlow Institute of Further Education & Training was delivered as part of the School Bundle 5 Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a PPP project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: As the deputy is aware, the development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a PPP project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of delivering the project using “traditional” public sector procurement. It is the practice in the education sector to allow...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (16 Nov 2021)

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

Seanad: Science Week: Statements (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Acting Chair. I note her personal interest in the topic. It is great that we are having a debate in Seanad Éireann, as well as last night in Dáil Éireann, on the issue of Science Week. We may use this debate as a catalyst or launch point to have a conversation about science in general, research in science, policymaking, and the work that we do as well. I thank...