Results 10,061-10,080 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The USI Education for All Campaign covers a wide range of issues including public financing of higher education and student accommodation on which I as Minister and my Department are actively engaging with USI and relevant stakeholders in higher education. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with sectoral representatives including the USI to address the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 and 399 together. The National Student Accommodation Strategy (NSAS) was published in 2017 and is designed to support the delivery of an increased level of supply of purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) by reducing planning barriers for public and private sector developers of student accommodation and seeking to address financing barriers for our...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The administration of the vaccine and prioritisation of vulnerable or essential groups is a matter for the Health Service Executive. As the Deputy will be aware, the Strategy for the vaccine was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and Department of Health, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Qualifications Recognition (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has responsibility to develop, promote and maintain the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The NFQ is a framework through which learning achievements may be measured and related to each other in a coherent way. Qualifications are organised within the NFQ based on their level of knowledge, skill and competence on a scale from 1-10. It...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 404 together. In considering the issue of fees, it is important to note that the State currently provides very substantial financial support to undergraduate students in higher education towards the cost of their studies. This support has played a very significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education. What was previously...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (20 Jan 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: Third Level Fees (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In considering this issue, it is important to note that the State currently provides very substantial financial support to undergraduate students in higher education towards the cost of their studies. This support has played a very significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education. What was previously the preserve of a relatively small proportion of the school leaving...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: SFI Research Centres are hosted at one Higher Education Institute. The host institute has responsibility for the administration of the award. However, each Centre has a number of academic partners with researchers at those partner institutes heavily involved in the Centre’s research. The budget assigned to the central award flows to the relevant partner Universities/Institutes of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government is providing financial assistance in this academic year 2020/21 to all SUSI eligible students and to EU full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending publicly funded Higher Education Institutions in the state. Under this initiative students who avail of the SUSI grant will receive a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (20 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware a Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Working Group was established in March 2017. The key objective of this group was to develop a plan to develop a sustainable future for the Mayo Campus arising from concerns about the financial viability of the campus. As recently highlighted by GMIT the creation of a Technological University by the Connaught Ulster...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Harkin for her questions. My information regarding the Connacht-Ulster alliance and the application for technological university status is the same as the Deputy's. We are expecting that application imminently. My Department, I, as Minister, and the Government are very supportive of it. The north west needs this university which offers really exciting opportunities in terms...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The answer to the Deputy's final question is "Yes", but I do not hold all of the levers relating to this matter. I could give the Deputy a long answer about how all higher education institutions are autonomous and academically independent. There are, as the Deputy points out, also the professional regulators, including CORU but common sense is needed here. We cannot have a situation where...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Deputy Mattie McGrath is right to end on a positive note. As tough as this time is, we and the next generation will bounce back from this and we must all support them in that regard. Deputies Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath raised the very important matter of student accommodation and I will make a couple of points on it. With college-owned accommodation, I expect universities and...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Matthews. I could not agree more with his comments on first-year college students. These are leaving certificate students from last year, who last sat in a classroom in March 2020. Against all the odds and all the challenges, they got themselves into college and now, as he rightly said, they are finding courses being done from the bedroom, the box room or the kitchen table....

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I agree with much of it. With regard to the SUSI review, she made a fair point about the extra costs that people, particularly from rural communities, have to face. There will be a chance to make submissions and have public consultation on that. I hope to have the review completed in advance of the budget so the House can make the necessary...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his questions. We were due to have an engagement this week, but I had to cancel for personal reasons. I am looking forward to having that engagement next week. While I would not necessarily agree with all the language he used to set out his position, I take the points he made about the need for better governance structures. To take his second question first, we...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Lahart. I read the speech the Taoiseach gave to the Irish Universities Association, IUA. We have joked about how it must be peculiar for a Fine Gael Minister to have read and now praised a then Leader of the Opposition’s speech, but it is a very fine speech. While Deputy Lahart rightly refers to the tremendously positive contribution that the late Seán Lemass...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I always appreciate people helping to advocate investment in higher education, and yes, I will. Last year saw the largest ever increase in the number of higher education places in our country. Many Deputies opposite were rightly concerned, as was I, that that would be a one-year-only investment. We have managed to ensure that all the extra places we put into the third level system last...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: My thanks to the Deputy. I assure him that I am following up on the point he made about bursaries in Cork in this significant year for Cork. The Deputy asked about well-being. In addition to the helpline referenced by him, we have increased mental health funding by €3 million. I appreciate his support in that regard. We have also doubled the student assistance fund. There is...

Covid-19 (Higher Education): Statements (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I know we are almost out of time. I will write to the Deputy. The short answer is that I will contact NUI Galway. Autonomy cannot be used as a fig leaf for inflexibility. I take the point she makes. In the interest of time, I will write back to her on the remaining matters.