Results 10,481-10,500 of 47,419 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The design, including costing, of models of academic programme delivery remains a matter for agreement by the relevant applicant institutes seeking to become a TU and as such, my Department was not involved in the process referred to by the Deputy in the case of the TUSEI consortium comprising IT Carlow and Waterford IT. Government has demonstrated and I have reiterated on many occasions...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Institutes of Technology (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department has no responsibility for the agreement of any extension of contractual arrangements, should such be the case, as the TUSEI consortium of IT Carlow and Waterford IT is the contracting party for the services of the consultancy firm referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: My Department does not hold individualised data of learners in further and higher education. Such data is held by SOLAS in the Programme and Learner Support Systems (PLSS) and by the HEA in their Student Records System (SRS), as well as by the further and higher education institutions themselves. As such, analysis of learner data is typically undertaken by the Statistics Unit in the HEA or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: This data is not collected on an annual basis. Data on the transition rate from further to higher education was collated as part of a working paper on the topic, published in 2020. Two different measures of the transition rate were identified. The first is CAO acceptances. In 2017 7.3% (3,517) of CAO acceptances were by candidates who were offered their course on the basis of a QQI/FET...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (16 Nov 2021)

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: Departmental Reports (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: I can confirm that my officials have received a copy of the McHugh report and are reviewing its contents.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of delivering the project using “traditional” public sector procurement. The National Maritime College of Ireland, which is part of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of delivering the project using “traditional” public sector procurement. The Cork School of Music, which is part of Munster...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: As the deputy is aware, the Carlow Institute of Further Education & Training was delivered as part of the School Bundle 5 Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a PPP project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Public Private Partnerships (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: As the deputy is aware, the development of a Public Sector Benchmark (PSB) is now a key part of the Value for Money assessment prior to proceeding with a PPP project. The PSB represents the full estimated cost, including risk to the State of delivering the project using “traditional” public sector procurement. It is the practice in the education sector to allow...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (16 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Student 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 which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. My Department...

Seanad: Science Week: Statements (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: I thank the Acting Chair. I note her personal interest in the topic. It is great that we are having a debate in Seanad Éireann, as well as last night in Dáil Éireann, on the issue of Science Week. We may use this debate as a catalyst or launch point to have a conversation about science in general, research in science, policymaking, and the work that we do as well. I thank...

Seanad: Science Week: Statements (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: There is still time left for other counties to catch up. When we look to the future, it is important to look at our research past as well. Ireland has for many years played its part in advancing the breadth of human knowledge in creating new technologies that have had an international impact. One notable person is Ellen Hutchins of Cork, who was Ireland’s first female botanist. Her...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: Progression is a key tenet of the Student Grant Scheme and section 2 of the Student Support Act 2011. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), provides grant assistance 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 means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied...

Science Week 2021: Statements (10 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: Absolutely.

Science Week 2021: Statements (10 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: I am pleased to open this debate to mark Science Week 2021 in Ireland. I thank the Business Committee for scheduling the debate and Deputy Naughten for suggesting it. We are debating science in the Dáil this week and it will be debated in the Seanad tomorrow, which I welcome. This week is about highlighting, in particular, the importance of science in regard to climate action, as...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (10 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student 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. With regard to the residency criterion, in order to be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Advertising (10 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was established in June 2020. The table below details all advertising spend by the department from the establishment of the department to date. Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science spending on advertising The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (10 Nov 2021)

Simon Harris: While the UK was afforded the opportunity under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement to remain part of the Erasmus programme, they chose not to. I have had discussions with the UK Secretary of State for Education and the Scottish Deputy First Minister on the question of student mobility, and the MoU on the Education Principles associated with the Common Travel Area protects mobility...