Results 9,841-9,860 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that this is a time of considerable stress and concern for third level students and the challenging and stressful circumstances that students are facing are being taken into account by Higher Education institutions as they adapt and respond to the changing situation. This includes the consideration of issues around work placements for students. The national co-ordination group...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, and in response to the shift to online and blended learning, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science allocated €15m to higher and further education and training providers for a grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cross-Border Co-operation (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I am committed to engaging in a collaborative relationship with the Northern Ireland Executive on areas of mutual interest and my Department is working closely with the Shared Island Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach on this work. I have met with Minister Dodds, and we discussed a number of areas of interest for cross-border collaboration between our two Departments. Senior...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 622, 624, 625, 632 and 641 together. 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 relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. To satisfy the terms and conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the terms and conditions of funding, including those relating to residency, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for SUSI to determine. For...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: The information requested in not readily available in the format requested by the Deputy. In 2016, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) appointed an independent Expert Panel to review thecurrent allocation model for funding higher education and to make recommendations on the most appropriate funding model for the future. The completed review recommends reforms to the HEA funding distribution...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Decisions on admissions, including deadlines for submissions of applications, are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO in this matter. Students whose November Leaving Certificate results entitled them to a higher preference offer based on their 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 644 together. I am conscious of the impact that Covid-19 has had on the leaving certificate class of 2021, and will take action as necessary to ensure that a full range of further and higher education options are available to them. According to figures released by the CAO a total of 632 offers were identified as a result of the 2020 Leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution. The student contribution applies to all students on an annual basis, who are eligible under the 'free fees' scheme. The current rate is €3,000 per annum. Currently in excess of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Mar 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: Public Procurement Contracts (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department was established in July 2020. The information requested by the Deputy in regard to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is not routinely compiled by my Department. My officials are in contact with the aegis bodies and I will arrange to have the material forwarded to the Deputy when it becomes available. In relation to procurement, the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Neither I nor my officials have met with the group in questions, and I am not aware of any correspondence sent by them to me or my Department. The national policy for managing COVID-19 is not a matter for my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: In response to the combined demographic and funding challenge, the then Minister for Education and Skills appointed an Expert Group to identify and consider issues related to the long term sustainable funding of higher education in Ireland and to identify funding options for the future. The expert group report, Investing in National Ambition: A Strategy for Funding Higher Education”...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Equity of Access to Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Programme for Government reflects the importance of supporting learners at risk of education disadvantage and learners with special education needs in higher education. The vision of National Plan for Equity...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Cross-Border Co-operation (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: I am strongly committed to exploring potential North-South dimensions of provision in the region. Last October, I had a virtual meeting with Minister Dodds, when we discussed a number of areas of interest for cross-border collaboration between our Departments. My Department's management board also had a bilateral meeting earlier this year with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: English language education (ELE) in Ireland is a broad and diverse sector with the vast majority of activity undertaken by private sector providers. I am aware of the important contribution made by this sector and of the challenges that are being encountered given the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on students, teachers and providers. As part of the response to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2020. In the context of scarce resources, the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: The Student Assistance Fund provides financial support to full- or part-time students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending higher education. The Fund can be claimed for expenses such as books, rent, food, medical costs, class materials, light and heat bills, essential travel and childcare. Students on full- or part-time courses leading to a higher education award...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Data (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: Hibernia College is a privately owned online third level educational company which delivers, inter alia, post graduate initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. As a private company, Hibernia College determines its own annual student intake and the Department does not hold data on the information requested by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (3 Mar 2021)

Simon Harris: 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 candidates. Therefore neither I nor my Department have a...