Results 10,681-10,700 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There have been Redeployment Arrangements in place within the higher education institutions since 2014.My Department is authorised to approve applications for voluntary redundancy under the collective agreement on redundancy for public servants and have been doing so on an individual case by case basis following assessment. My Department officials and the Higher Education Authority have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 669 to 674, inclusive, together. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of this funding, including any expenditure on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I can advise the Deputy that the contractor for the new sports science, health and recreational building at the TU Dublin Tallaght campus is currently on site and construction will commence shortly. It is expected that the construction of the project will be completed in December 2021. This project, which has a total cost of approximately €15 million, is co-funded by my Department and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (29 Sep 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 Education (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the July stimulus package, an additional 2,650 places will be provided across a range of existing part-time and full-time postgraduate taught programmes. Programmes will be focused on a range of areas where identified skills needs exist. A call was issued by the HEA to HEIs to indicate the courses and places they wish to provide under this part of the July stimulus. There was...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Advisers (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The following tabular statement gives details of the Special Advisers I have appointed to assist me in carrying out my ministerial duties. In accordance with the Guidelines for Ministerial Appointments as published by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform they are on the Standard Principal Officer payscale. The role of my advisers is to advance my policy agenda and programme...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Universities Act 1997, Universities are autonomous with regard to their academic and administrative affairs, including in relation to student accommodation. It is not within my remit to issue instruction to any university in relation to their on-campus accommodation. However I understand, based on the information available to me, that NUIG has confirmed that any student who...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Universities are autonomous institutions under the Universities Act 1997, and therefore have the right to manage their own academic and administrative affairs. Any issues in relation to an internal transfer must be resolved by Trinity College itself, and it is not possible for me or my Department to intervene in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Graduate Nursing Scheme (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: An Bord Altranais Requirements and Standards determine which placements a student goes on for each of the four nursing branches - general, children, psychiatry and intellectual disability. The timing of each placement is arranged by individual higher education institutions in consultation with their various health service partners. Data are collected by the Higher Education Authority...

Seanad: Safe Reopening of Tertiary Sector and Key Priorities for Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Statements (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Cathaoirleach for my first opportunity to address the new Seanad and to be here as Minister for a new Department of further and higher education, research, innovation and science. I am very excited about the establishment of this new Department and the opportunity to work with Members of Seanad Éireann. There is a wealth of knowledge, experience and interest in the House on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Professions Admission Test (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The HPAT is independently administered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the universities’ medical schools and the RCSI. The selection criteria and process for admission to medical schools is a matter for those institutions in line with their statutory autonomy in relation to academic affairs. I understand that students choose to sit the 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (24 Sep 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 Universal Support Ireland (24 Sep 2020)

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: Technological Universities (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: TU Dublin is an autonomous higher education institution (HEI) within the meaning of the Technological Universities Act 2018. As such the management of the technological university's academic affairs, including the curriculum and instruction and education provided by the technological university are matters for TU Dublin. My Department allocates funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA)...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (24 Sep 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, progression, previous academic attainment and means. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and as such retain the right to determine their own procedures, criteria and processes. Arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: 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 have resulted in the highest ever number of applicants receiving a CAO offers, with 53,815 CAO applicants receiving round one offers on Friday 11th September. It is not envisaged that any places...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous with regard to their academic and administrative affairs, including in relation to admissions. Therefore any limits on the number of deferrals are a matter for the HEIs themselves and neither I nor my Department have a role in this matter. I understand, based on the information available to me, that some HEIs are placing limits on the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Universities are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997 and the management of their academic affairs, including the delivery of course,s are matters for the individual institutions. In this context the Department understands that NUI Galway offers an accredited blended-learning training course on demonstrating/tutoring to assist in improving teaching...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (24 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 204 together. To support the return to college in 2020, on July 22nd my Department published its three-pillar series of guides for returning to on-site learning in 2021, 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...