Results 9,941-9,960 of 47,419 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Maintaining and developing a strong supply of STEM graduates is critical to Ireland’s growth as a world-class centre of innovation and research.  Ensuring that we have good gender balance in STEM is a key part of meeting this supply. It is also a worthwhile policy goal in its own right, given all that we know about the importance of diversity in STEM, as well as our desire to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: My Department is committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for both students and staff in our higher education institutions. In June 2021, I wrote to the Presidents of the Higher Education Institutions to request their support and participation in two surveys by researchers at the specialist DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, with the support of my Department. The first survey...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The number of students enrolled in higher education courses in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics has increased by 14.4% since 2014, rising from 21,400 to 24,500. The annual number of graduates from these courses has increased by 22.4%, from 5,500 to 6,700. These figures are expected to increase further over the coming years. My Department and I are determined to be the driver...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: As a small, open economy, Ireland relies on external demand and international markets for sustainable and continued growth. The market for innovation and research is also global – international cooperation in research and innovation plays an important role in the development and sustainability of a world-class innovation and research system. The centrality of the higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. Equity of Access to Further and Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Inclusion is a key goal in my Department's Statement of Strategy. It is important to state the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: In the Further Education and Training, FET, sector, the Specialist Training Provision (STP) programme addresses the identified training needs of people with both physical and intellectual disabilities who are experiencing exclusion and labour market disadvantage in the form of vocational training programmes. Courses are generally one to two years in duration, are delivered all year round and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service. My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (2 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: In 2021, a record 8,607 new apprentices were registered in the apprenticeship system. This is an increase of over 38% in comparison to 2020. 6,955 registrations were in craft apprenticeships, and largely in the construction sector. There were 1,652 registrations on the newer, post-2016 programmes. At the end of 2021, the overall apprentice population was 24,212. Regarding the deputy’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (2 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I am very conscious of the challenges faced by students seeking to access affordable student accommodation. Fundamentally the underlying issue is one of supply and there is a need to increase the supply of all types of accommodation including student accommodation. That is why Government launched Housing for All led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage which sets...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (2 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to students pursuing 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. It assists over 70,000 students annually to access third level education. The eligibility criteria for student...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Further and Higher Education (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague, Deputy Alan Farrell, for raising this very important issue this evening and also for talking about it on a regular and ongoing basis. I also thank him for his interest in and commitment to FET and in particular how it can benefit the community of Swords in the county of Fingal. As the Deputy has outlined, Fingal county has shown the highest growth of any local...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Further and Higher Education (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I again thank Deputy Farrell for raising the issue. My message to the DDLETB in the context of Swords, and my message to all ETBs, is that we have a very significant pot of funding to invest in FET colleges of the future, to expand provision and to upgrade facilities for exactly the reasons the Deputy outlines, including the need to make sure we have the skills we require in this country to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: In 2021, a record 8,607 new apprentices were registered in the apprenticeship system. This is an increase of over 38% in comparison to 2020. 6,955 registrations were in craft apprenticeships, and largely in the construction sector. There were 1,652 registrations on the newer, post-2016 programmes. At the end of 2021, the overall apprentice population was 24,212. Regarding the deputy’s...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Services (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 559, 560 and 561 together. The staff required by a children's disability network team (CDNT) require a wide range of expertise in a number of clinical and other areas including, but not limited to physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, social work and community nursing. Third level graduates from the relevant therapy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Munster Technological University (MTU) was established on 1 January 2021 together with the apppointment of  a first governing body and first president Professor Maggie Cusack.  In accordance with the Technological Universities Act 2018 the governing body expanded its membership in the first six months though internal staff elections, student member nominations and an external...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Gender Equality (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Inclusion is one of the six strategic goals of my Department’s Statement of Strategy. Within this goal my Department is championing equality by: providing leadership; advocating equality and respect for all; supporting inclusive learning; working with research environments; promoting female leadership in academia and research; eliminating harassment; and promoting the principle of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: Physiotherapy graduate data for the three latest years available - 2018, 2019 and 2020 - is available in the table below. The data given is for courses allowing qualification as a physiotherapist, and does not include graduates from postgraduate courses undertaken by existing physiotherapists. This data is taken from the HEA's Student Records System (SRS) HEI Course Level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The number of dental graduates for the three most recent years available - 2018, 2019 and 2020 - are available in the table below. These figures are taken from the HEA's Student Records System (SRS). Higher Education Institution 2018 2019 2020 Trinity College Dublin 40 45 42 University College Cork ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Correspondence (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: I have not brought any policy instructions or policy documents to the attention of An Bord Pleanála in my role as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (1 Mar 2022)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that a commitment to a review and update of Ireland’s previous international education strategy, Irish Educated Globally Connected, was contained in the Programme for Government. In advance of drafting a new strategy, it was decided to commission an independent review of the preceding one. Indecon Economic Consultants, based on detailed engagements with...