Results 9,801-9,820 of 46,346 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1248 and 1262 together. Following the publication of COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery: The Path Ahead and in keeping with the Government’s objective of moving to a return to safe onsite provision in higher and further education, extensive planning has been undertaken by the sectoral stakeholders of the Covid-19 Working Group for the English language...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Funding (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1249, 1250 and 1251 together. The 2014-20 ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) was approved by the European Commission in February 2015 and subsequently launched in April 2015. Following the allocation of an additional €2m funding as part of the mid-term Review of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the PEIL OP had a total...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The 2020 July Stimulus provided for total investment of €100m in education and training measures. The Further Education and Training measures included the Skills to Compete programme; the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme and Skillnet Ireland activation programmes. The Higher Education measures included additional places on Springboard+ and Human Capital Initiative Pillar 1...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Funding (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The Partnership Agreement for 2021-2027 will cover a number of different EU Funds as provided for in the Common Provisions Regulation, including ESF+, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Just Transition Fund (JTF) and the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The Partnership Agreement is a strategic document setting out the overall priorities across the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1254 and 1255 together. My Department's Statement of Strategy, which I published on 8 March last, contains a commitment to put in place a sustainable funding model for the higher education. This is essential in ensuring that our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and performance, and achieve critical outcomes for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The annual spend for the 2020/21 academic year on maintenance grants as of end June 2021 was in the region of €160M. Based on the number of students in receipt of the maintenance grant for 2020/21, the estimated cost of increasing all rates of the maintenance grant by 10% is in the region of €16.5M. The Programme for Government contains commitments to, amongst other...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. Currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The main support to students attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding, provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution and meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment (progression) and means. Under...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (27 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: Third Level Costs (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department is committed to the continued roll-out of supports for students and targeted initiatives to support delivery of the vision and targets within the National Access Plan. The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (NAP) 2015-2021 identifies the target groups that are currently under-represented in higher education. These include entrants from socio-economic groups...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI. 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. SUSI...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The student grant scheme, administered by SUSI, provides maintenance grants to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Student maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or non-adjacent rate. The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in the case of students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Employment Schemes (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1267 and 1268 together. The following table sets out for the years 2015 to 2021 the national training fund levy; levy income; the projected yield at budget time of each 0.1% increase; the actual yield in the full calendar year following the increase. Year NTF Levy Rate NTF Levy Income Projected Yield for each 0.1%...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Bodies (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department is guided in its reporting obligations by the terms and conditions laid down by Statute, where appropriate Company Law and the stipulations of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s 2016 appendix document - Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies – Business and Financial Reporting Requirements. The Code of Practice sets out, inter alia,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department. My ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. This means recognising the needs of vulnerable learners, the most marginalised and those with special and additional needs. A range of supports and measures are in place for learners with disabilities; some of these supports are targeted...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is the principal financial support for students participating in higher education, including those with disabilities. The Student Grant Scheme provides for fee and maintenance grants to all students who meet the qualifying criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. To date SUSI has received over 80,000 student grant applications for the 2021/22...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1272, 1294 and 1295 together. In light of high number of CAO applications this year, and the pressures faced by the Leaving Certificate students of 2021, my officials have been working with the HEA and the higher education institutions to identify where there is scope for additional places to be provided for the 2021/2022 academic year. However there are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Harris: Last year more than 2,250 additional places were provided in order to offset the particular pressures faced by the higher education system. My Department is working with the HEA and the Higher Education Institutions to identify where there is scope for additional places to be provided this year. All bodies involved will continue to work to ensure the availability of a full range of options...