Results 10,521-10,540 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Budget 2021 (20 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, 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 additional financial assistance in this...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (20 Oct 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 reduced so long as these measures are in place. Campuses will remain open to facilitate learners and researchers attendance for laboratory, practical and apprenticeship training, scheduled library attendance and small...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Postgraduate programmes are comprised of a range of elements designed to further the training and development of students. In particular PhD students, in addition to conducting research, participate in other activities to develop generic and transferable skills. These activities are regarded as an integral part of the training and typically include teaching. Teaching contribution assists in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: In providing guidance for higher education providers to return to learning safely for the 2020/21 academic year, my Department published a three-pillar guidance framework, consistent with public health requirements. This included an adaptation framework to assist institutions to continuously adapt to meet the challenges posed by this pandemic. Further to this framework, the higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 107 together. Postgraduate programmes are comprised of a range of elements designed to further the training and development of students. In particular PhD students, in addition to conducting research, participate in other activities to develop generic and transferable skills. These activities are regarded as an integral part of the training and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I am committed to ensuring that a broad range of education and training opportunities are available both to students leaving school and to those whose livelihoods have been impacted by the current pandemic and are looking to upskill or reskill. This year more students than ever before were offered a place in higher education through the CAO, with 63,338 applicants having received a CAO...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101, 102 and 481 together. 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 €340m to meeting the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with those students who are required to pay the student contribution paying...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: To support higher education providers to return to learning safely for the 2020/21 academic year, my Department published its three-pillar guidance framework, which consisted of a high-level roadmap, a COVID-19 adaptation framework, and practical guidance for returning to on-site activity. This unique three-pillar approach was developed in close consultation with agencies, stakeholders,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that this year has been a difficult one for students, and my Department has been working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students. All seven universities have confirmed that students who vacated their university-owned student accommodation prior to the end of the 2019/2020 academic year due to Covid-19 will receive...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (20 Oct 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: Civil Service (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is running a pilot programme which is designed to attain the objectives which the Deputy outlines. The SFI Public Service Fellowship, which was launched in 2019, offers researchers a unique opportunity to be seconded to Government Departments, Agencies and the Oireachtas Library and Research Services, to work on specific research projects. The Fellowships...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Erasmus+ Programme (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: All higher education institutions that participate in the Erasmus+ programme must hold an Erasmus Charter. In signing this Charter, the HEI confirms that its participation in Erasmus+ is part of its own strategy for modernisation and internationalisation. A key aspect to the Erasmus Charter is the promotion of measures that ensure the safety of outgoing and incoming mobile participants....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Brexit Issues (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK, students from Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland, will continue to access higher education as currently applies. This means that they will continue to be treated the same as students in the other jurisdiction and they will continue to have access to SUSI grants, subject to the current eligibility requirements. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research and Development (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: As Minister, I believe that a key part of my role is to highlight the world leading research and innovation being carried out by our higher education institutions, and to ensure that both Government and my colleagues in the Oireachtas are informed by and engage with the research and the researchers. In recent years the Irish Research Council (IRC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Climate Action Plan (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will be progressing a range of initiatives in education and research in 2021 to advance targets in relation to emissions reduction. For example, in the further education sector, €8m has been allocated to support the development of retrofit-specific skills initiatives. This will provide up to 500...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Mental Health Services (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The mental health of our students is a priority for my Department, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increased mental stress and pressure resulting from it. In this regard earlier this year, I secured a comprehensive package of financial support in the amount of €168m for the Higher Education and Further Education and Training sector to mitigate against the direct...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 115, 480, 485 and 504 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 reduced so long as these measures are in place. Campuses will remain open to facilitate learners and researchers attendance for laboratory,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department is closely monitoring any potential impact that the events of this year may have on entry to further and higher education in 2021. This year more students than ever before were offered a place in higher education, with 52% of these students being offered their first preference Level 8 course in Round One. As of the end of Round Two, more than 49,000 students have accepted a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (20 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: Student Universal Support Ireland (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The student in question submitted an appeal to the independent Student Grant Appeals Board. The Board considered the appeal on 6 October 2020 and based on the supporting documentation submitted with the appeal the Board accepted the documentation as sufficient proof of parental separation. As a result the Board overturned the decision of the appeals officer in SUSI and referred the case back...