Results 10,781-10,800 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I appreciate that this year has been a difficult one for students, and my Department has been working with representatives from the higher education sector to address the challenges faced by students. I understand based on the information available to me that students in university-owned accommodation have received pro-rata refunds if they have vacated their accommodation. I have indicated...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (15 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 and processes, including admissions. Neither the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Attorney General is the legal adviser to the Government and as such advice received by Government is legally privileged. Consequently, I am not in a position to share or release the advice concerned. However I have set out the substance of it in my media interviews and press conference last week.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Assistance Fund (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been undertaking detailed planning and contingencies for their re-opening and communicating these to students, moving from emergency remote learning towards a mode of blended learning, combining both online and onsite provision. The details of these arrangements are being finalised with all HEIs having published their academic calendars with...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The principal support provided by the 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: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Since the onset of Covid-19 in March, the Department, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and SOLAS have collaborated with key stakeholders from the sector to identify, quantify and develop options to mitigate the financial impacts of Covid 19 on the sector, including costs associated with the safe commencement of the 2020/21 academic year in line with Public Health advice. In July I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Institutions (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department was not previously aware of the matter referred to by the Deputy. The details supplied by the Deputy are currently being considered with a view to establishing an appropriate response. Without pre-empting the outcome of that consideration, I should advise the Deputy that the Department takes very seriously any concerns raised relating to specific allegations of impropriety...

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

Simon Harris: The diversity and flexibility of the Higher Education sector has been key in driving responsive and adaptable approaches to the challenges created by the pandemic. However this very diversity means that the development of one single plan for return to learning would not have been possible. Higher Education Institutions have been undertaking detailed planning and contingencies for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This initiative addresses concerns regarding the digital divide in the context of the shift to online and blended models...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The HEAR scheme is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) www.iua.ie who set the policy criteria for the scheme. Admissions under the HEAR scheme are 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. Applications to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. In the higher education sector, grants are made available to those institutions that receive support under the Student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions 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 including in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The data provided in the table attached is the a breakdown of all Higher Education students who were in receipt of a grant for the 2019/20 academic year. PAID Students 2019/20 Academic Year - Undergraduate & Post Graduate NAdj Special Rate 9,439 - Undergraduate NAdj Full Maint 100% 15,644 -...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The purpose of the Student Grant Scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold, or in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant. The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Under the Universities Act 1997, universities are autonomous with regard to their administrative and academic affairs. This includes in relation to their on-campus student accommodation. While UL does have student accommodation available for student with special needs, the eligibility criteria for this accommodation and how it is allocated are a matter for the university itself. UL...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The advice the Deputy refers to regarding visitor and student accommodation is from the "Implementation Guidelines for Public Health Measures in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)" published on August 5th. This document was produced by public health exerts within the HEI sector and the recommendations in it were endorsed by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of the HSE. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices. This initiative addresses concerns regarding the digital divide in the context of the shift to online and blended models...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: In line with the Memorandum of Understanding on the Common Travel Area, which was signed by the Irish and UK Governments in 2019, I am committed to ensuring that students from Northern Ireland will continue to be treated on the same terms as an Irish student for fees purposes. The Common Travel Area will apply, notwithstanding of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Support Schemes (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of a package of COVID-19 supports for the higher and further education sectors, my Department has allocated €15 million to higher and further education providers for a once-off COVID-19 Grant to support disadvantaged students in accessing ICT devices.   This initiative addresses concerns regarding the digital divide in the context of the shift...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Projects (15 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is not currently overseeing any individual Exchequer-funded project in excess of €1 billion.