Results 10,661-10,680 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Minister with responsibility for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (8 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: There is an irony in the comment of reminding Government that the news coming from Government cannot always be good. I am certainly familiar with that concept. I assure the Senator that the body of work under way will deliver to this committee an honest economic evaluation of the various options, of which the one he advocates for is one being considered. All of those options will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Minister with responsibility for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (8 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: No.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (7 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. However, Section 14(1) of the Student Support Act 2011 states: In this Act “student” means a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (7 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous with regard to management of their 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 my Department have a role in the operation of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (7 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level e.g. progressing to postgraduate study. To qualify for grant support, a student has to meet various criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (7 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Requests for funding for agriculture college 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: State Examinations (7 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department is closely monitoring any potential impact that the results of Leaving Certificate 2020 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 1. As of the end of Round 2, more than 49,000 students...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (7 Oct 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: State Examinations (7 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (7 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Springboard+ complements the core State-funded education and training system and provides recent graduates with either free or 90% funded upskilling and reskilling higher education opportunities in areas of identified skills need. One-year full-time and two-year part-time ICT Skills Conversion courses, which are funded through Springboard+, are open to the unemployed, returners to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the Department of Education and Skills in financial terms is the student grant scheme, which makes available means-tested financial assistance to students in further and higher education. Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Language Schools (6 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: Third Level Costs (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the challenges faced by students regarding 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: Student Support Schemes (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level e.g. progressing to postgraduate study. To qualify for grant support, a student has to meet various criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. As part of the package of COVID supports for the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: On 25th September intensified protective measures in third level were announced, in line with public health advice. This has meant that on-site activity will be minimised so long as these measures are in place. While I appreciate that this may be disappointing for students who had hoped to have as much time on campus as possible, these measures are necessary if the spread of the Coronavirus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Nursing Education (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 575 and 576 together. In order to help mitigate the impact of the changes to the grading system I announced the creation of an additional 2,225 places on high-demand courses in Higher Education Institutions. These places were provided in order ensure that as many students as possible could be accommodated on a course of their choice, given the unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (6 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: Nursing Education (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: Any financial supports for student nurses and midwives on clinical placements arranged by the relevant higher education institutions with health service providers are matters for the Health Service Executive and neither i nor my Department has a role in this regard. However, I am concerned at the difficulties faced by those students who find themselves in the types of situation described by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: EU Directives (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department has not incurred any fines as a result of non-transposition of EU Directives into Irish law in the last ten year period.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (6 Oct 2020)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, matters relating to 2021 funding form part of budgetary discussions that are currently ongoing between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other Government Departments and Offices. I am liaising closely with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as part of this process to secure additional funding for the Further and Higher Education sectors,...