Results 10,241-10,260 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

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...

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

Simon Harris: The establishment of technological universities (TUs) is an important part of the Government’s higher education and regional development policy as underscored in the Programme for Government 2020. The new Munster Technological University (MTU) will be established on 1 January 2021 and become the second technological university in the State. Last year, the Department of...

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

Simon Harris: There is no doubt that research and innovation will play an essential role in Ireland’s recovery from the current crisis and will assist us in being more prepared for the impacts of other challenges we are facing in the future. The creation of a single department encompassing further and higher education, research, innovation and science demonstrates the recognition of the...

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

Simon Harris: The provision of services related to rapid testing and tracing are a matter for the Department of Health, my Department has no role in this provision.

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

Simon Harris: The increase in the income limits that have taken place in relation to the student grants since 2010 have been in respect of the Special Rate of Grant. This is the highest rate of maintenance grant support available. The income threshold for the Special Rate of Grant is linked to movements in the Old Age Pension (OAP) and the increases in the OAP payments in recent years are reflected in the...

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

Simon Harris: Following the appointment of a new programme executive director in July 2020, there has been significant progress in advancing the project by Carlow and Waterford Institutes of Technology, as the TUSEI development consortium, to develop a technological university (TU) for the South East. I met and was updated by the Institutes’ presidents and governing body chairpersons on 28...

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

Simon Harris: The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. Student grant applications for academic year 2020/21 are assessed based on income earned in 2019. As per Article 22(5)(b) of the Student Grant Scheme 2020, income from an applicant’s employment which...

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

Simon Harris: In accordance with the principles Common Travel Area, Irish students pursuing their higher education studies in the UK will not be treated as International students for fee purposes. Officials in my Department are currently engaged in intensive discussion with their counterparts in the Devolved Administrations in the UK with a view to finalising the fees to be charged to Irish Students,...

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

Simon Harris: The creation of technological universities (TUs) represents a step change in the State’s higher education system and strengthens the ambitions of Government for technological education. TUs will bring significant benefits in terms of increased reach, international recognition, research capacity building, FDI attraction, skills retention and creation, regional development, enhanced...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (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 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...

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

Simon Harris: At the outset it is important to note that postgraduate study in the higher education system in Ireland takes place across a very wide and diverse set of disciplines and extends from taught masters programmes to advanced and specialised post-graduate research. While the introduction of strict public health restrictions impacted widely on postgraduate students, the shift to online learning...

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

Simon Harris: The National Access Plan (NAP) has set targets to increase participation in higher education by People with disabilities. Specific targets have been set to increase participation in higher education by students with physical or sensory disabilities. A Progress Review of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education and the Priorities to 2021was published in December 2018. The...