Results 10,421-10,440 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (10 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware to avail of the graduate entry route for medicine, a primary degree in another discipline is necessary. Accordingly such students are ineligible for grant assistance on the basis that they already hold an undergraduate degree. SUSI holds data on students who have applied for grant support so therefore it is not possible to identify the total number of graduate entry...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (10 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: 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 faced by students in this difficult time. My Department, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Centres Programme (10 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: SFI Research Centres are research centres of global scale and reputation, undertaking excellent research. All the Research Centre awards are for the duration of six years. These SFI Research Centres are funded to focus on areas of strategic importance to Ireland and are expected to deliver scientific excellence with economic and societal impact. The Centres are expected to leverage equal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Capital Expenditure Programme (10 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The following table includes the information requested by the Deputy. As budgets for projects that have not yet reached the contract award stage are commercially sensitive, I have included a cost range. Name Description Completion Cost Range (€m) DFHERIS Contribution (€m) UCD Future Campus Phase 1 project. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Industrial Relations (10 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: It is of course important for all employers and employee representatives to work to create and maintain a positive and progressive industrial relations environment. I understand that in this instance the Irish Management Institute (IMI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of University College Cork (UCC) and a private company and its staff are private employees. In that context, any internal...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Staff (10 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: My department was just established in June of this year with the formation of the new Government. The following are the roles filled from Public Appointments Service panels since the establishment of the Department. Principal Officer 3 Assistant Principal Officer 0 Higher Executive Officer 0 Executive Officer...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Unions (5 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: 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 faced by students in this difficult time. My Department, in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Graduate Support Schemes (5 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The report of the Higher Education Authority’s Graduate Outcomes Survey: Class of 2018 provides the findings of the second iteration of a sector wide analysis of higher education graduate outcomes in Ireland. In a strengthening labour market, higher educational attainment levels have been linked with higher employment rates. As outlined in the report, persons aged 25-64 with a third...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (5 Nov 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. The aim of the student maintenance grant scheme is to make a contribution towards the cost of going to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (5 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Young Farmers Scheme (4 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures in this area. Decisions on how courses...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (4 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: On 25th September intensified protective measures in third level were announced, in line with public health advice. On-site activity in further and higher education will be minimised so long as these measures are in place. Campuses will remain open to facilitate learners and researchers in accessing laboratories, practicals and apprenticeship training, scheduled library attendance and small...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (4 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the July Stimulus, funding was announced for short modular courses to be offered in a flexible manner, allowing people to gain important skills without taking a considerable period away from the labour market. Each module will be stand-alone so that participants can gain skills and put them into practice immediately in the workplace, but modules are also accredited in such a way as...

General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: I am happy to clarify this matter if it saves time later. The only inquiries I ever made were about when we would be ready to publish the contract on the Department of Health's website and I do not believe I ever had coffee with that person.

General Practitioner Contract: Statements (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: Deputy Doherty made two specific references to me during the debate and out of respect to him, and to the fact that the record of this House stands for evermore, I want to respond briefly to both. There is nothing wrong with having lunch or a coffee with anyone, but for the record I did not. On the date he referenced, 12 April, I was at an East Coast FM charity event right throughout my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 989, 1003, 1022, 1025 and 1037 together. On 25th September intensified protective measures in third level were announced, in line with public health advice. On-site activity in further and higher education will be minimised so long as these measures are in place. Campuses will remain open to facilitate learners and researchers in accessing laboratories,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous and determine their own procedures for admission. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions are made by the higher education institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Therefore neither I nor my Department have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: In 2020, my Department will spend over €400m on access measures for students. This includes circa €350m on student grants and related activities, which is expected to benefit over 70,000 further and higher education students I recently announced details of a €168m funding package for the return to education. This includes €15m in IT equipment grants for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware of the recently announced €168m funding package for the return to education. This package includes a €10m access support package for higher education students. I have approved the allocation of €8.1m of this funding to top up the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). This is an increase in this fund of 100%. The remaining €1.9m funding will...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: I think it is important to note the range of additional supports which have been put in place for students as part of Budget 2021 and as part of the Government's Covid response earlier this year. - I have doubled the level of funding available in the Student Assistance Fund for this academic year; - I have increased the level of funding for the 1916 Bursary Fund (also known as...