Results 10,081-10,100 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I will do my best to get through as many of his questions as possible. I could not agree more with his point about well-being and that the leaving certificate class of 2020 and the first-year college class of 2021 are like no other in terms of all they have been through. I said in my opening statement that I am establishing a new group to monitor well-being and I have...

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

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his work in advocating the establishment of my Department. I acknowledge the significant work he put into the policy development side of it. I hope we are beginning to see the merits and benefits of the Department. I thank him also for his kind words in regard to the researchers and the work my Department and the HEA are doing in that regard. When we get to the...

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

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her time and her work ethic; she has been here for a significant length of time and I am sorry that more Members have not joined us with regard to this higher education discussion. I am not the Minister for Education and I will not go back on that but the questions asked by the Deputy in respect of my own brief are fair and I am more than happy to answer them....

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

Simon Harris: With the agreement of the House, I will share my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the impact of Covid-19 on the further and higher education sector. I was a little disappointed that, for the first time in my political career, some Members of the Dáil actually voted not to have me here today for questions and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together. 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.The Governing Authority of GMIT in consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Since the establishment of the new Government, my Department has put in place a major funding package to support the higher and further education and training sector through the Covid crisis, including significant additional supports for individual students and learners.   We have significantly expanded training places to support people to reskill and upskill as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erasmus+ Programme (14 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The Erasmus+ programme is the main avenue through which my Department and the Higher Education community support studying abroad for third-level students. I am optimistic that opportunities to study abroad under the Erasmus+ programme will continue to be maintained in the 2021-2022 academic year. The European Commission approved the new work programme for Erasmus+ (2021-2028) in December...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year. The funding was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the exceptional situation they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial assistance will be provided to all EU full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Third Level Admissions (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: It is my understanding that those who opted to sit the Leaving Certificate exams in November 2020 and receive an improved CAO offer on foot of these results will receive a deferred offer to start their course in the 2021/22 academic year. Such offers are part of the 2020 application cycle, and therefore will be based on the 2020 CAO points. The CAO process applications for undergraduate,...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Third Level Admissions (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 640 and 667 together. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses 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. The DARE scheme is operated by the Irish Universities Association...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Third Level Fees (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs including dealing with policy and procedure in relation to fee collection. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: The determination as to the level of postgraduate fees to be charged is a matter for each institution in accordance with its own particular operational conditions and circumstances in ensuring quality education provision. The cost of delivering such programmes has not reduced as a consequence of the pandemic indeed institutions have had a range of additional costs in continuing to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Erasmus+ Programme (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In cases where students had to cancel their Erasmus mobility due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they are entitled to receive the support covering their travel expenses if they were not able to cancel their travel booking and where reimbursement from the carrier company/insurance was not possible. In any case, the student should provide evidence that a booking was made and that their efforts...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department was recently established and has not undertaken a contractual relationship with the named company during the timeframe specified. Enquiries have been made with the bodies under the aegis of my Department and I am advised by my officials that one aegis body, SOLAS, had contracts which fell within the scope of the Deputy’s query. The table attached contains the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Contracts (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions act as Contracting Authority for the majority of capital projects delivered in the higher education sector. Based on information compiled by this Department, which relates to capital projects over €5 million only, there have been four projects co-funded by the Department and a further five projects completed without Department funding in the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Third Level Reform (13 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 have been 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 Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Third Level Costs (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 648, 649, 652 and 656 together. I am conscious of the challenges faced by students regarding student accommodation this year due to both financial pressures, and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. The Deputy will be aware that the university sector has been actively engaging with these issues. As a result of the decision to...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Third Level Staff (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Postgraduate programmes are comprised of a range of elements designed to further the training and development of these students. In particular PhD students, in addition to conducting research, participate in other activities to develop generic and transferable skills. These activities are regarded as an integral part of their training and typically include teaching. Development of these...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year. The funding was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the exceptional situation they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial assistance will be provided to all EU full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: European Organization for Nuclear Research (13 Jan 2021)

Simon Harris: Innovation 2020, the national strategy for research and innovation, recognises that for Ireland to become a Global Innovation Leader, our research and innovation system must be open with strong international collaboration links. Membership of leading international research organisations is an important mechanism for facilitating this engagement. For this reason, the Government gave a...