Results 10,301-10,320 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The breakdown of student numbers from Northern Ireland, by academic year, is contained in the attached spreadsheet. The most recent data available is for the 2018/2019 academic year. NI Enrolments 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 2018/2019 Full-time 762 951 955 1,065 1,003 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 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 full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 562 together. I am conscious of the challenges faced by students in relation to student accommodation this year due to financial pressures and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. Throughout the last number of months my Department has been engaging with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 564 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, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (1 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. TUs will provide increased choices for students, an enhanced student experience and greater access for students in tackling educational disadvantage with TUs offering a broad range of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Horizon 2020 Strategy (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: To date, Ireland has been part of 1,855 projects since the beginning of Horizon 2020 in 2014. The Commission “Dashboard” provides publicly available, regularly updated information on all these projects with links to each individual project including the start and end dates for the project, the institutions involved in the project, the geographical location of these institutions,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: SUSI’s data sharing arrangements are governed by provisions in the Student Support Act 2011 and where applicable, secondary legislation provided for in the Act. These data sharing arrangements assist in verifying an applicant’s eligibility for grant funding. As part of the agreed data sharing protocols, SUSI has live access to records of Department of Employment Affairs and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: It is important to note in relation to this issue that applications to undertake study at postgraduate level are made directly to individual higher education institutions. Higher education institutions are autonomous institutions as provided for in legislation and on that basis, the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in the case of postgraduate study is solely a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (1 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 €340 m 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 their studies. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Contracts (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department has published reports on consultancy costs after each calendar year on www.education.ie. Tables showing the returns for consultancy costs for 2018 and 2019 follow. A return for 2020 will be compiled after the end of the accounting period. Details in respect of accountancy, legal, project management and IT companies, are not immediately available but are being compiled and will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 568 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, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the July stimulus package an additional funding allocation of €47.5m was provided for Higher Education skills-related programmes. The higher education elements of the July stimulus package were in three broad areas – further support for Springboard+ and HCI Pillar 1 (€10m), Funding for Postgraduate provision (€22.5m), and the provision of modular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (1 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 full-time...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (1 Dec 2020)

Simon Harris: The HEA has been working with higher education stakeholders for the past 12 months on the issue of the collection of data on higher education institution staff by ethnicity. The HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion will request such data in December 2020, following the publication of a statement by the Athena SWAN National Intersectionality Working Group in May 2020....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine. In assessing an application for the 2020/21 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant: 1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant; 2....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the difficulties being experienced by students and their families as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and of the importance of the Student Grant Scheme and related supports, such as the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. These supports have a fundamental role in assisting students and families who are putting their children through further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The figures requested by the Deputy are available in the attached table. The figures given are for the 2018/2019 year, the latest available. Part-time student enrolments by Higher Education Institution, 2018/2019 Higher Education Institution Number of Students TU Dublin 7736 University College Dublin 3942 IT...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the July stimulus package an additional funding allocation of €47.5m was provided for Higher Education skills-related programmes. The higher education elements of the July stimulus package were in three broad areas – further support for Springboard+ and HCI Pillar 1 (€10m), Funding for Postgraduate provision (€22.5m), and the provision of modular...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 and 319 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, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (26 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This initiative addresses concerns regarding the digital divide in the context of the shift to online and blended models...