Results 10,721-10,740 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (22 Sep 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 and the data requested by the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: In order to help mitigate the impact of the changes to the Leaving Certificate 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. While the subject areas...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Universities and Institutes of Technology 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. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating student and graduate data from all HEA-funded higher education institutions (HEIs). Data for the number of students enrolled in medicine courses for the academic period 2007/2008 to 2018/2019 is attached. Data in relation to enrolments in the 2019/2020 academic year is currently being returned by...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (22 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: State Examinations (22 Sep 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: Further and Higher Education (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The CAO process applications for undergraduate courses on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions. 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 the CAO, and it is not with my remit to issue direction to the CAO with regard to any application. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. This includes grants to cover the tuition fees, excluding the student contributions element, for undergraduate students eligible under the terms of the Free Fees Initiative...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scientific Research (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Associate membership of CERN is possible at a cost of 10% of the indicative full membership annual cost. This equates to an association membership cost of €1.25 million per annum. The benefits as well as the costs are restricted with this option. Associate members can choose to join at a higher rate, bringing a commensurate increase in the potential return to Ireland. With associate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (22 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: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The scheduling of craft apprentice off-the-job training is undertaken by SOLAS. Craft apprentices are called for off-the-job training on a longest waiting basis on the day of scheduling to the nearest available Education and Training Board or Institute of Technology. Craft apprentices are entitled to make an application for a travel or accommodation allowance in addition to their weekly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (22 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Government has provided funding in the amount of €168m for further and higher education institutions and students to support the return to education. Within this the additional funding provided for student supports will be of assistance to many students particularly those with the least financial resources. As part of the package of supports my Department of Further and Higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (22 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 for approximately 44% of students...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (17 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: To reply to Deputy Conway-Walsh's question, as the Deputy will know, on 5 August, a very detailed implementation advice regarding public health and the return to third level education was published. A huge amount of work has been undertaken by the sector, including by the Union of Students of Ireland, which sits on a group that meets every Friday that I attend also. It will meet again in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (17 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, previous academic attainment and means. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the Student Grant Scheme in relation to progression, a student must be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (17 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. It is not envisaged that any places further to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (17 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Statistics of this nature have not historically been collected on a systematic basis from the higher education sector. However, in 2019 information was collected which highlighted the following data in respect of 19 institutions, where information was available.  The specific actions adjudged necessary and taken as a result of any such incident are matters...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (17 Sep 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, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (17 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I would like to thank USI for it's submission and outlining student priorities. The recommendations outlined in the submission along with other relevant submissions received in advance of budget 2021 are being considered as part of the overall budgetary discussions on higher education provision for 2021. To date significant progress has been made in increasing investment in Higher...