Results 10,201-10,220 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Continuity for the most part of further and higher education and research has been maintained throughout the pandemic. The diversity and flexibility of higher education institutions has been key in driving responsive and adaptable approaches to the challenges created by the pandemic, ensuring that the sector has remained open and that continuity of high quality provision has been achieved. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I have been struck by the initiatives I have seen to give people with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to engage with higher education institutions. It is fair to say that these have tended to be smaller in scale than the system-level provision delivered in the further education and training (FET) sector, but I am interested in seeing what we can do to build on these existing...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Postgraduate programmes are comprised of a range of elements designed to further the training and development of 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 skills...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 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, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant challenges they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic will offer financial assistance to all EU full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Postgraduate programmes are comprised of a range of elements designed to further the training and development of 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. Teaching contribution assists in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In line with the Programme for Government, I recently announced plans to review the SUSI scheme. The Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. The proposed scope of the SUSI review was noted by Government last week. My Department will oversee the implementation of the review...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The support and wellbeing of our students is a priority for my Department, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased stress and pressure resulting from it. I recently launched a new National Framework to address the issues of student mental health and suicide prevention. This Framework is Ireland’s first ever national approach to address student mental...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Meetings (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In October 2020, I held a productive meeting with Minister Diane Dodds, Minister for the Economy. Our discssion, held virtually, touched on areas of common interest, including ongoing co-operation between our higher education institutions and the possibilities for collaboration in areas including research and innovation. It would be my intention to meet again with Minister Dodds in the new...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Officials from my Department are engaging in discussions with the HEA and DPER in relation to the development of a new set of principles to inform a revised Higher Education Staffing Agreement. This will form the basis of an update to the current Employment Control Framework which is implemented since 2011. My officials are engaged with the Higher Education Authority and officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: As stated in the Programme for Government 2020 the progression of a technological university to serve the people of the South East is the Government’s top priority in higher education and regional development terms. Any peripheral proposals must be viewed in that context, particularly if there is any risk of delay or impeding the delivery of the TU agenda in the South East. At...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The complex nature of the student grant scheme means that there is a risk that some students receive grant payments for which they are not eligible, including for reasons beyond the direct control of SUSI. To mitigate the risk of overpayments, SUSI implements procedural and system-based controls within its application assessment and grant payment operations. A highly developed quality...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Fostering Inclusion is one of the three core pillars around which the Further Education and Training Strategy (FET) 2020-2024 is built. The FET sector is committed to increasing levels of inclusion through the provision of high quality, more accessible and flexible education and training programmes and supports suited to the identified needs of individuals, including those with a disability....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I understand, based on the information available to me, that the recommendations of the OECD report in question were presented to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) last year, and actions have been taken since then to engage further and higher education providers, and the enterprise sector, in the reform process. The Senior Cycle Review process (2017-2020) is led by the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 409 and 410 together. 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....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Since the onset of Covid-19 in March, my Department, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and SOLAS have collaborated with key stakeholders from the sector to identify, quantify and develop options to mitigate the financial impacts of Covid 19 on the sector, including costs associated with the safe commencement of the 2020/21 academic year in line with Public Health advice. As announced in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. Devices procured using the grant are being distributed by Higher Education Institutions and Education and Training Boards to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: In May 2016 the then Minister welcomed the report of the Chairperson of the Expert Group on Fixed-Term and Part-Time Employment in Lecturing in Third Level Education in Ireland. The recommendations contained in the report will assist in addressing concerns raised about precarious employment by Union representatives. The Department issued directions to the sector on the 4th July 2016 to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The CAO is a company set up by the Higher Education Institutions in order to process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. The HEIs are autonomous and determine their own criteria in relation to admissions. They HEIs make decisions on admissions and instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. I am conscious that CAO system is very...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Provision of clinical placements for healthcare students is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE, and my Department is not in a position to provide information on whether such placements may be delayed. Since the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak, significant work has been undertaken by a stakeholder group chaired by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and including the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (15 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Legislative provisions are in place with regard to the acquisition and disposal of lands owned by publically funded higher education institutions. Section 5 (1)(i) Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992, as amended by Section 6(a)(iii) Institutes of Technology Act 2006, requires the approval of the Higher Education Authority for the acquisition of land by an institute of technology. Similar...