Results 10,701-10,720 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 656 and 681 together. The CAO system is a system that works on the assumption that grades obtained in the Leaving Certificate by candidates determine their points. It is on this basis that the CAO system allocates places to applicants including those from different years. To ensure impartiality, the automatic CAO points systems have been created in a way...

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

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 657 and 659 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 658, 666 and 667 together. 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 this sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers. As...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme is administered by the centralised national grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB (City of Dublin Education and Training Board), on behalf of the Department. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for SUSI to determine. If an individual applicant considers that he/she has been unjustly refused...

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

Simon Harris: The data provided in the table below is in respect of students who received a grant from SUSI the centralised grant awarding authority, which was established in 2012.  It does not encompass data relating to the 66 awarding authorities who have continued to process renewal applications on a transistionary basis. Breakdown of ApplicationsReceived - Awarded - Refused 2015 to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (29 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...

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

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The nationality requirements for the student grant scheme are set out in section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and regulation 5 of the Student Support Regulations...

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

Simon Harris: As part of the package of COVID supports for the higher and further education sector approved by Government on 22 July 2020, my Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has allocated €15 million of capital funding for a once-off Covid-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This grant is being made available to further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Research Funding (29 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: On the 21stJuly 2020, EU leaders agreed on the next long-term budget for the 2021-2027 period, worth a total of €1,074.3 billion.  They also agreed on the €750 billion recovery effort to help the EU tackle the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  This is still subject to finalisation with the European Parliament. With respect to the budget agreed, the next...

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...