Results 10,281-10,300 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (9 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and as such are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. Therefore responsibility for examinations and assessments rests ultimately with each individual institution. The national co-ordination group for tertiary education, which includes representatives...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (9 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (9 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The matters referred to by the Deputy are employment issues for the Dublin City University, rather than Departmental policy matters, as the University has autonomy with regard to its HR function.   The terms of employment for employees of universities are a matter for the employing institutions and HR policies vary in line with the size, structure, culture and work of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Nursing Education (9 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating student and graduate data from all HEA-funded higher education institutions. Data below is for 2018/2019 Republic of Ireland enrolments in bachelor nursing training courses by course year. Data in relation to enrolments in the 2019/2020 academic year is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (9 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).   For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.    A student may be assessed...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Bodies Data (9 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Details of the bodies under the aegis including the criteria for appointments to each Board that falls under the remit of my Department are available in the attached table. The details are also available on the Department of Education’s website at the following link; https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Agencies/Details-...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The EU Directive on Professional Qualifications will no longer apply once the Transition Period has concluded on 31st December 2020. While responsibility for recognition of professional qualifications rests with each relevent Department and their regulators, my Department is responsible for co-ordinating the response to this issue.  Since late 2018, my officials have been working on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19, the Government has announced modified Level 3 requirements commencing on 1 December 2020.  These set out that Further, Higher and Adult education should remain primarily online. In this context, a set of guiding principles has been agreed with the further and higher education sectors for implementing a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Employees, in Higher Education Institutions, have a number of industrial relation mechanisms available to them to address queries on employment matters, with either their employer or their union representatives. If unions wish to raise issues, there are also structures within which they can do so, which include Fora for unions representing a wide range of staff. The Workplace Relations...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding and private funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the statutory framework detailed in the Technological Universities Act 2018, it is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant Institutes of Technology participating in a TU development consortium to progress their plans and, when ready, to make an application to the Minister seeking an order establishing a TU subject to their meeting the eligibility criteria prescribed in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 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 upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic will offer financial assistance to all EU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level e.g. progressing to postgraduate study. To qualify for grant support, a student has to meet various criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The development of a sustainable funding model for higher education is essential in light of the centrality of higher education.  The future development of Ireland as an inclusive society and a knowledge economy against the backdrop of rapid technological change.  In that context, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the funding options presented in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (8 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 upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic will offer financial assistance to all EU...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I have made clear from day one that access and inclusion are at the core of my vision for my new Department.  My Department will spend well over €400 million on student supports in 2020 including the SUSI scheme.  As part of Budget 2021, I have secured an additional €20 million to provide for additional applicants, €6 million to expand...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Arising from the establishment of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the transfer of functions in the areas of further education, skills development and higher education and including the non-voted National Training Fund, it became necessary to transfer the relevant subhead allocations from the Department of Education (Vote 26) to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education. Entry to medicine in Irish HEIs is provided through both undergraduate and graduate entry routes. Under the Department's Free Fees Initiative, the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible first...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The purpose of the Student Grant Scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold, or in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant. For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: It is important to note in relation to this issue that under the Free Fees Schemes the Exchequer currently makes a very substantial contribution amounting to €340m to meeting the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with those students who are required to pay the student contribution paying €3,000 per annum towards the cost of...