Results 10,141-10,160 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: My Department has not outsourced any COVID-19 related work, services or advice to consultancies. However, while we haven’t engaged professional consultancies in relation to our COVID response, my officials have drawn on the considerable public health expertise available in the third level sector and sought advice and assistance on public health issues relevant to the...

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

Simon Harris: Eduroam is a service which could benefit all students especially with the increasing move to online education and dependence on broadband accessibility. Eduroam is a mature solution across Irish higher education where the large Education institutions have strong identity management solutions in place. Significant investment in identity management improvements across first and second level...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutions of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. While it is not within my remit to determine the assessment policies of HEIs, I appreciate that the circumstances of this year have been both challenging and stressful to students, the HEI's are...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: University College Dublin is an autonomous institution within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and is therefore academically independent and entitled to regulate its own academic affairs, including in relation to its assessment processes and policies. It is not within my remit to intervene in such matters and I have not spoken to the UCD governing authorities on this matter. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutions of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Under this legislation, the institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their academic affairs and administrative processes, including in relation to fees charged for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In the event a civil or public servant retires and goes on pension and subsequently takes a position with a Government Department or organisation covered by a Civil Service Pension Scheme, s/he may not earn more by way of their re-employed salary and pension than s/he was earning prior to their retirement. When the salary and pension exceed the salary prior to retirement the excess is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Nursing Education (17 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The payment of student nurses and midwives is a matter for the Department of Health. Student nurses and midwives were paid as healthcare assistants in the earlier part of the pandemic while clinical placements were suspended. An initial assessment of student placementsfor nurses and midwives has been conducted. The Minister for Health has also stated that a short, time-limited examination...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge (16 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Tógfaidh mé ceist uimhir a 252, uimhir a 253 agus uimhir a 254 le chéile. Cé gur bunaíodh an Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta an samhradh seo caite, ní bheidh feidhmeanna agus soláthar foirne na Roinne nua aistrithe go hiomlán ón Roinn Fiontar, Trádála agus Fostaíochta...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (16 Dec 2020)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Budgets (16 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department engages in social media, where appropriate, in order to draw attention to important issues in the Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science sector. The use of social media allows the Department to reach audiences that might not be as likely to see or hear traditional forms of media such as newspapers, television and radio, for example.  This allows...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (16 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Entry to medicine in Irish HEIs is provided through both undergraduate and graduate entry routes. HEI are autonomous bodies and admissions to graduate medical programmes courses a matter for the institutions concerned. Although students are liable to pay a tuition fee for a place on graduate entry medicine programmes, the State via the HEA provides a grant per student to HEIs (€11,200...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (16 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The statistics the Deputy refers to comes from data recently published by the HEA on the socio-economic profile of higher education institutions. This is the second year that we have this data and builds on a report the HEA published last year. The data is of significant benefit for higher education institutions in terms of supporting them to implement a more targeted approach in their access...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (16 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The payment of student nurses and midwives is a matter for the Department of Health. As you know, student nurses and midwives were paid as healthcare assistants in the earlier part of the pandemic while clinical placements were suspended. An initial assessment of student placements for nurses and midwives has been conducted. The Minister for Health has also stated that a short, time-limited...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Fees (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will appreciate the sensitivity of this time. Obviously, we will need to see the final outcome of negotiations on an arrangement between the UK and the European Union. I have met the UK universities minister and the Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy, who has responsibility for higher education. I will also be virtually attending a meeting of the North-South Ministerial...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I echo Deputy Burke's comment that the establishment of MTU is the beginning of the journey. There will be expansion and additionality as the university grows. Deputy Ó Murchú is entirely right. When one goes to the dance but does not pick a partner and everyone is partnered off, one is left alone. We have two institutes of technology, both of which are excellent, namely DkIT...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: During the course of 2020, SUSI has experienced, not unexpectedly, an increase in the number of applications for grant assistance as well as the number of students seeking a review, understandably, based on the change of circumstances provision in the scheme. This is primarily due to the negative impact that Covid-19 has had on the tenure of employment and income levels. For this reason I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Since taking up office I have made three changes to SUSI. The first was the €250 payment. The second was the change to postgraduate supports, both to the level of grant and the level of income allowed. The third, and perhaps most important, was the change to the student support scheme for people in asylum. Only five people in asylum were able to access financial support last year...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I agree that not everybody can pack their bags and head off to college for four years, for a variety of reasons. That is not the way people learn in Ireland now and that is not the way we live in many ways and the system needs to be more flexible. I accept the Deputy's point that part-time rather than full-time learning is a much more viable option for some people and part-time students are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I will make sure that this is considered as a core component. I note that some universities are now making a real effort to become autism friendly. We have some very bright students and very bright people in our country but they are not the challenge. Sometimes it is the institutions that are the challenge; they need to be more flexible and understanding of how people with autism learn...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Costs (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. I doubt she means it like this but with my Department or the Government, there was no attempt to mislead anybody. I remember getting a letter from the deputy chief medical officer on the Friday telling us we needed to bring in additional precautions, and this effectively moved much college activity online. That decision was made and published on that Friday, so it was...