Results 10,801-10,820 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147, 149 and 150 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. For the 2020 CAO system to proceed to pave the way for entry to higher education for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The student grant scheme, administered by SUSI, provides maintenance grants to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Student maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or non-adjacent rate. The distance to be measured is the shortest non-tolled most direct route from the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt. While SUSI has statistics on those students who have applied for grant support and gross income only, they can estimate with some degree of certainty, what impact changes to the thresholds might have for those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: In light of Covid-19, the higher education sector has implemented and expanded a range of initiatives to assist those who may be working in a sector that has been impacted by the global pandemic and who with to upskill or reskill. On 24 July 2020 as part of the Government’s announcement on the July stimulus package an additional funding allocation of €47.5m was provided for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance 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. Approved courses for the Student Grant Scheme 2020 are prescribed in the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The development and progression of technological universities is an established policy objective of Government in the context of overarching national strategy on higher education landscape restructuring and this is underscored in the commitment in the current Programme for Government. The 2019 TU Research Network (TURN) Report entitled ‘Technological Universities: Connectedness...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (10 Sep 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 Universal Support Ireland (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance to eligible students attending an approved course at an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Student maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The data provided in the table attached is the estimated number of students that would be affected by changing the SUSI adjacency rates from 45km to 25km. Maintenance Grant Rate Students distance is measured between 25km and 45km Special Rate 2,862 100% Ordinary Rate 3,928 75% Ordinary Rate 225 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further Education and Training Programmes (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Local Training Initiatives (LTIs) are training and work experience programmes carried out in partnership with community and voluntary organisations. They provide a basis for the 16 Education and Training Boards to contract with community bodies to provide a service initiative in a locality where there are identified community needs. Training provision is intended to be sufficiently flexible...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has been engaging with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on an ongoing basis to determine the number of additional places that can be provided in high demand courses this year. There have also been a number of meetings on this between officials from my Department and representatives from the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the Technological Higher...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (10 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. Students pay a student contribution of €3,000 per annum which can be paid in instalments. The state pays the contribution in full or part for an estimated 44 per cent of all students eligible for free fees funding...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Grant Scheme (10 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 scheme operates in the context of competing educational priorities and limited public funding. The aim...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Social Media Monitoring (10 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department is not monitoring social media on the basis referred to by the Question. The social media operations of bodies operating under the aegis of the Department are a matter for those organisations themselves.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (10 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...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Murphy for the question. I am sure she will not mind me also acknowledging that Deputy Marian Harkin raised this with me earlier in the interests of her constituency. The establishment of technological universities, including a technological university in the Connacht-Ulster region, is an important part of the Government’s higher education policy as underscored in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Technological Universities (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputies Murphy and Harkin. I note those metrics and will reflect on them. In the period between now and December the Connacht-Ulster alliance plans to finalise its memorandum of understanding with the Teachers Union of Ireland; hold monthly meetings with representatives of professional management and support staff; verify key achievements of technological university criteria and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Durkan for the question. There is an exciting opportunity with the creation of this new Department. For the first time, we are bringing further and higher education together with research, innovation and science. This is an education Department but it is also a business Department. It is about trying to get those two working together. Education is about a lot more than...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I am satisfied that the great work done by the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Department of Education and Skills ensured that this year we could have a calculated grades system that provided a pathway from second level education to third level education. 12 o’clock That will ensure that the pipeline of high quality graduates in key areas continues and that there is not paralysis...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Fees (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: We both agree on the need to increase funding for higher education. Let us be honest, though. Approximately 80% of the higher education budget is going on fixed staff costs and that is right and proper. The Deputy would be the first to tell me if that was not being addressed. We cannot pretend that the cost of providing the education system this year is decreasing, in fact, it is...