Results 10,581-10,600 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: The CAO is a company established by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Therefore application and offer data is held by the CAO, not by my Department. According to data released by the...

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

Simon Harris: Innovation 2020, the current national strategy for research and development, science and technology, acknowledges the importance of the pipeline of skilled and talented individuals playing a critical factor in innovation. From pre-primary through to further and higher education and throughout an individual’s career, skills and knowledge need to be continuously enhanced if individuals,...

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

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. The assessment of means under the Scheme is based on gross income from all sources before the deduction of income...

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

Simon Harris: The provision of funding to for Higher Education on an annual basis is part of overall expenditure management and budgetary policy. Queries in relation to the overall expenditure on Higher Education in relation to the national budget are more appropriate for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Government Funding for Higher Education: In recent Government funding has demonstrably...

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

Simon Harris: I am not aware of any plans to build a new higher education institution on the northside of Cork city. However, my Department continues to work collaboratively with CIT (soon to become part of Munster Technological University with IT Tralee) and UCC in the development of capital projects in line with their established masterplans. Higher education building projects in Cork supported by my...

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

Simon Harris: Following the conclusion of the review of the code used to generate Calculated Grades, improved Calculated Grades results were transmitted to the CAO on Saturday 3rdOctober. The CAO subsequently identified 485 students who were entitled to a higher preference CAO offer as a result of their improved grades. As of CAO Round 4, which was issued on Thursday 8thOctober, all of these students have...

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together. Higher Education providers are autonomous institutions with responsibility for the day to day operations and requirements of students and staff. The provision of breastfeeding spaces is a matter for individual institutions in accordance with the relevant guidelines. My Department does not have any role in this matter. I would expect...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science is presently temporarily accommodated at the Department of Education’s office campuses. I am informed that there are presently no dedicated facilities for breastfeeding or expressing milk as no request for such a facility has been currently made by a member of staff. I can assure the Deputy that...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disability Support Services (20 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and as such are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. As providers, it is the responsibility of each higher education institution (HEI) to put in place appropriate supports to ensure that the needs of students of disabilities are met. Each HEI has an access and...

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

Simon Harris: The HEAR scheme is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) who set the policy criteria for the scheme. Admissions under the scheme is regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the scheme, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places. My Department does not have a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (15 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: English language education (ELE) in Ireland is a broad and diverse sector with the vast majority of activity undertaken by private sector providers. I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the ELE sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers. As part of the response to the pandemic, my Department established a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with students paying the student contribution. The student contribution fee is currently set at €3,000 per annum and can be paid in instalments. The State pays the contribution in full or part, through SUSI, for approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Regional Aid (15 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The EU Regional Aid Guidelines (RAGS) provides for enhanced rates of State Aid in the least economically developed areas of each Member State. The 2014-2020 Regional Aid Guidelines entered into force on 01 July 2014. Under the terms of the 2014 -2020 RAGS, regions covering 51.28% of Ireland’s population are designated as ‘assisted areas’. Ireland, as a whole, has not...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: On 18 September the Higher and Further Education system in Dublin committed to minimise on-site teaching and learning, in light of the deteriorating disease situation in the county. On 25 September the Acting Chief Medical Officer requested that consideration now be given to the introduction of similar measures to those introduced in Dublin for all HEIs nationwide to ensure safe...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (14 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Irish Universities have autonomy to borrow in their own name within a framework to be agreed with the HEA, the Dept of Finance and Dept of Public Expenditure and Reform. Section 38 of the Universities Act, 1997 states that: (1) A university may borrow money by means of bank overdraft or otherwise and may guarantee or underwrite a loan taken or borrowing undertaken by a person or a body of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (14 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Applications for free fees are assessed by higher education institutions. Under the Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees of eligible students pursuing an approved full-time undergraduate course of study in an approved institution in the State. Eligible students must meet the terms of the scheme including the nationality and residency clauses. Students must...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (14 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with students paying the student contribution. The student contribution fee is currently set at €3,000 per annum and can be paid in instalments. The State pays the contribution in full or part, through SUSI, for approximately...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (13 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 349 and 353 together. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous and manage their own academic affairs including admissions procedures. The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the HEIs. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. As such, neither I nor...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (13 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by my 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: State Examinations (13 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The HEAR and DARE schemes are operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) who set the policy criteria for the schemes. Admissions under the schemes are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the schemes, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places. Applications to...