Results 10,461-10,480 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 provides for substantial and appropriate restructuring, consolidation and co-operative approaches within the landscape of Irish higher education, including the development of technological universities. My Department, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and relevant higher education institutions are dedicating significant investment towards...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2021 (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1032 and 1034 together. The key drivers of capital investment in higher education include: - Catering for a significantly expanded student body as demographics feed through from post-primary level - Supporting the ambitions of Project Ireland 2040 with regard to a more balanced population and employment growth across Ireland’s regions - Developing and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: To date, my Department has entered into three public private partnerships in the higher education sector, National Maritime College of Ireland, Cork School of Music and the Grangegorman PPP project. The National Maritime College of Ireland and Cork School of Music, which are part of Cork Institute of Technology, became operational in 2004 and 2007 respectively. The NMCI provides education and...

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

Simon Harris: As requested by the Deputy I have attached a table outlining the total number of enrolments for undergraduate nursing and midwifery for the years 2016-2019 are attached below. The actual enrolment details for 2020 are not currently available at this time. ">Hons Degree

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teagasc Activities (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: Requests for funding for Teagasc students is a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. I have been in contact with my colleague the Minister for Agriculture on this matter and I will refer your query to him for direct response.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (3 Nov 2020)

Simon Harris: There have been two completed projects in the higher education sector with a total project cost of greater than €20m which have been part-funded by the Department of Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science (and previously the Department of Education and Skills) since 2016. There was one further project with a total project cost of just under €20m. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (22 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education institutions 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (22 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The proposal for a High Energy X-ray Computed Tomography for Additive Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, & Heavy Industry was submitted to Science Foundation Ireland under the 2018 SFI Infrastructure Programme Call.  The Infrastructure Call supports the research community in building and sustaining the required infrastructural capacity to accomplish high quality, high...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (22 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The decision on eligibility for a student grant, and the rate payable to applicants deemed eligible for that grant is a matter for SUSI to determine having regard to the terms and conditions of the Scheme. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (22 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government’s Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 Plan for Living with COVID-19 sets out the Framework for Restrictive Measures in Response to COVID-19 for adult education which includes English Language Education (ELE) as open with protective measures at Level 2 and requiring all appropriate protective measures to be escalated at Level 3.  At Level 4 and above, this provision...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The objective of the statutory based 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 grants purposes, students are categorised according to their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware a Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) Working Group was established in March 2017.  The key objective of this group was to develop a plan to develop a sustainable future for the Mayo Campus arising from concerns about the financial viability of the campus.  The Report contained 33 recommendations for implementation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 to 202, inclusive, together. As announced in July, the government has provided additional and re-prioritised funding in the amount of €168m to enable providers to facilitate the safe return of students to further and higher education in 2020, in the context of public health advice. This funding includes provision for PPE and equipment, online...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The CAO is a company established by the Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf.  It is governed by a board of directors drawn from across the higher education sector, and decisions on the operation of the CAO are made by this board. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Neither I nor my Department have any role in relation to the provision of financial supports for nurses and other medical students undertaking clinical placements. These are matters for the Department of Health and the HSE as appropriate. In this context I refer the Deputy to PQ Number 30359/20 which I answered on 13 October.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I wish to advise the Deputy that TU Dublin does not have a borrowing framework and has no debt. The Universities Act, 1997 contains a provision for universities to borrow within a framework agreed with the Higher Education Authority. This framework, which was agreed with the now Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science and the now Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (21 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I am very conscious of the impact the pandemic has had on our students. To ensure the safety of our students and staff in further and higher education under the remit of my Department, the majority of college will be online for this semester.  In recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 210 together. I am conscious of the challenges faced by students regarding student accommodation this year due to both financial pressures, and the blended learning format of the 2020/21 academic year. Responding to these issues is a significant matter of concern for myself and for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Science Foundation Ireland (21 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I have had discussions with Science Foundation Ireland in relation to their ambitions to develop their international footprint. In this regard I understand that the Ireland House approach to developing an overseas agency presence may be an appropriate model to utilise and I am interested to see these plans progress as part of our ongoing engagement with SFI.