Results 9,521-9,540 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I have advised the Minister for the Economy of the Irish Government's decision to facilitate the continued access for Northern Ireland students to Erasmus mobilities in Europe and my officials remain in contact with their counterparts in Northern Ireland. My officials are continuing to work with higher education institutions, North and South to finalise the administrative procedures to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: As these mobilities for a key element of the student's programme of study, each application for mobility must be approved by the Northern Ireland higher education institution.  In tandem with this, there must be an individual learning agreement between the partner institutions.  This has always been a key component of any Erasmus mobility.  Once these elements are in place, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: COVID-19 related suspension of practical training in Training Centres, Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities has had a significant impact on the ability of craft apprentices to access off-the-job training leading to an increase in waiting times for completion of practical training and assessment and an effective extension of the duration of some craft apprenticeship...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sustainable Development Goals (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious policy agenda that concerns all Government Departments.  The first SDGs National Implementation Plan (2018-2020), published in 2018, set out Ireland’s strategy to achieve the SDGs both domestically and internationally. 19 Actions were included in the first...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Sustainable Development Goals (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has responsibilties for a number of the goals under Sustainable Development National Implementation Plan. The Deputy may be interested in the Policy Map, which notes the responsibilities of each Department and which is available at the link - . I have also included below details of the goals my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 616 and 617 together. My department has not conducted any social media monitoring to date. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Investigations (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Neither my Department nor agencies under its aegis have engaged private investigators in the time period specified. 

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Data Protection (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was established on 2 August 2020. There has been one data breach in total between the date of establishment in 2020 and today’s date. This breach was reported to the Data Protection Commission, who closed the case without further action following informal investigation.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Irish universities are independent and autonomous statutory bodies established under the Universities Act, 1997 which guarantees the principle of academic freedom and puts in place detailed institutional level governance arrangements for the management, operation, policies and strategy of the relevant institution. The participation of a higher education institution with this organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I am aware of the high number of CAO applications this year, and officials from my Department are engaging regularly with representatives from the higher education sector in relation to the 2021/22 academic year and demand for places. €18 million has been provided in Budget 2021 which will build additional capacity in the system and address demographic growth pressures. This is in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Examinations (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Throughout Level 5, higher education remained almost entirely online, with exceptions made where on-site presence is necessary for practical and time-critical work. It is anticipated that the remainder of the 2020/21 academic year will also continue predominantly online. Reflecting the scale and diversity of third-level provision and using their discretion higher education institutions will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The complex nature of the student grant scheme means that there is a risk that some students receive grant payments for which they are not eligible, including for reasons beyond the direct control of SUSI. To mitigate the risk of overpayments, SUSI implements procedural and system-based controls within its application assessment and grant payment operations. A highly developed quality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department's Corporate Services are largely shared with the Department of Education and our Irish language policy currently operates under the Department of Education and Skills Language Scheme 2020 - 2023, made under Section 15 of the Official Languages Act 2003. This document sets out what Irish language services should be based on. That is  i) the underlying level of demand for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Funding (18 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 625 to 627, inclusive, together. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was formed in summer 2020. The funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of further and higher education, labour market initiatives including skills, and Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (13 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 364 together. Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the 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 relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Courses that are part-time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (13 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I am arranging for information to be collected on the numbers of students who would be encompassed by the question and will revert to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department is actively engaging with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) about the demand for higher education places in 2021 and will take action as necessary to ensure the availability of a full range of further and higher education options for applicants in 2021 and beyond. However the HEIs are autonomous bodies under the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (13 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The information requested by the Deputy is available in the attached table.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (13 May 2021)

Simon Harris: As this report relates to 2020 Green Public Procurement, it is being prepared by the Department of Education on a shared service basis, and the report will be inclusive of both Departments. It will be submitted to the EPA and published as part of the Department's Annual Report for 2020 which will be available on my Department’s website. In line with the EPA Reporting on Green...