Results 10,281-10,300 of 46,368 for speaker:Simon Harris

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Tests (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I am a major proponent of at least trying rapid testing. It would be weird if the Minister responsible for research and science was not, given that the chief scientific advisor to our country and to me and Science Foundation Ireland are so clear in relation to this matter. I simply think that we do not have anything to lose by trying it, particularly as a surveillance method. I very much...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for his question and for continually raising this most important matter. Our further and higher education and research systems represent a critical national asset. That is how they need to be seen. They are a critical national asset which can support the future economic and societal success of our citizens. Increasingly, the battle to live in and create a country...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Fees (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I tend not to be overly partisan and I do not mean to be overly argumentative, but I think the comparison I made with the situation in Northern Ireland is fair. I state that because Northern Ireland is a devolved administration. I have no political jurisdiction in Northern Ireland. The Scottish First Minister managed to abolish fees. When is Sinn Féin, in government in Northern...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Fees (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: Deputy Conway-Walsh and I are both committed to working on an all-island basis. I am very much committed to working with the Deputy in that regard. Nicola Sturgeon, however, did not tell the people of Scotland that she had to wait for Scottish independence to do what she did concerning fees. Deputy Conway-Walsh is asking me a question, but I am wondering when Sinn Féin, in government...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Language (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. On foot of this question, I have specifically asked my Department to engage with me directly and with the HEA on this matter. I assure the Deputy that my Department is committed to the implementation of the Official Languages Act and the provision of Irish language services to its customers. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 is of high...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Language (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy may have a fair idea of the answer to his question. It is always a good question to ask. There are around 200,000 students enrolled in higher education in Ireland now, which is up from 20,000 in 1971. I take the Deputy's point. However, I would also make the point that the figure of 73 does not tell the full story in any way, manner or means. I think he would agree with me on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Irish Language (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I will not give the Deputy the date and the time of the meeting but I will certainly give him the month. I would be very happy to meet with him on this matter in the month of June. He should have his office contact mine today and I am sure we can identify a date and time, put that date in the diary for June and engage on the issue. As regards specific engagements, I do not have all my...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Fees (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: The Deputy's reference to the European Union only works because Northern Ireland is not currently in the European Union. A third level student in Northern Ireland today will pay £4,530 a year and will have to meet that cost in full through student loans. I just checked the conversion rate today and that means students in Northern Ireland pay fees of €5,247 every year. If...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I promise the Deputy we will do this. I met representatives from Down Syndrome Ireland recently. I talked to parents who said to me that, in some cases, not only are they not seeing their children progress when they leave school, which is the wish all parents have for their children, but are actually seeing them regress. What a horrific thing for parents to have to say, that at the time...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I assure Deputy Tully my Department is committed to supporting the mental health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills required to be effective in the health workforce and to support a range of clinical teams, including the very important issue she highlights regarding supporting people with eating disorders. It is a fact that the number...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I fully agree with the Deputy. We are seeing a theme, and I say this in a constructive sense, in the parliamentary questions today, which is the delivery of public services. A number of Government strategies and the like commit to making improvements in very important areas, but will require us to produce more people to work and be trained in those areas. I will say two things,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for putting the spotlight on this very important issue. From my perspective as Minister, in the last three or four weeks I had a very good meeting with Bodywhys, the eating disorders organisation. We had a very important conversation about how we prepare our services and colleges for students returning to campus. We will come to questions about that shortly. We have...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Admissions (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I cannot speak in regard to the banks, but I take the point the Deputy makes. It could well be a barrier for many people in accessing financial assistance. I can examine how we can provide greater financial assistance. I have already pointed out that the student assistance fund is a more immediate-term mechanism. The first of two other areas I want to examine is SUSI, in the context of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Collins for the question. My Department is strongly committed to supporting the mental health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce and to support a range of clinical teams in our health services. My Department understands there is a long-standing arrangement in place under which the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I agree 100% with the Deputy. I was answering her specific question on how one matter she raised does not fall under the remit of my Department. That is not in any way shirking the broader issue. I want to assure the Deputy that one of the roles my Department is playing is engaging with the workforce planning sections of other relevant Departments. For example, we are in discussions...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Fees (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. When she said that we need to map it out, she could not be more correct. If we want to implement things like Sláintecare or any Government strategy to improve public services, a major part of that conversation has to involve how many young and not so young people need to be trained to work in these areas. I agree with Deputy on that and there is a lot of work going...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I am delighted the Deputy has raised this issue. I note his interest in it. This is a major priority for me and the entire Government. The Cabinet committee on education recently had a discussion about this very matter. I have undertaken to do two things between now and September, in conjunction with a number of Government colleagues, in particular the Ministers of State, Deputies Josepha...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Higher Education Grants (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: First, we should not say we are standing over a system that we are not yet sure is as the Deputy describes. I agree that this is about every individual student and I do not intend to be in any way dismissive in relation to that. However, I also need to be conscious of anything that I do being legal, equitable and consistent with that approach of equity of access. For example, if I was to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Higher Education Grants (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: That is a fair question. At present, we are monitoring it on a weekly basis. The figure I gave the House of 28,500 applications having been assessed and 26,000 being deemed eligible is a very high rate of eligibility for SUSI so far which reflects the reality we will see this year that most households' incomes are gone down and not up. This idea - the Deputy is not putting it forward -...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Admissions (20 May 2021)

Simon Harris: I am grateful to the Deputy for bringing this up because it is an issue I have been engaging on quite a bit. I have met a number of students, either studying medicine as graduate entrants or considering doing that. I am concerned because the argument they would put forward to me is that there is benefit both to the health service and to them as future doctors in having undertaken a degree,...