Results 10,881-10,900 of 45,539 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I am conscious of the pressures 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There are approximately 20,000 applicants presenting in the CAO system who sat the Leaving Certificate in a year prior to 2020. Within this group there is likely to be a considerable diversity of applicants, many of whom may be catered for through different pathways - for example, those who deferred a place last year, those applying as mature students, those applying through access pathways...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (9 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: Student Universal Support Ireland (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The estimated cost of a decrease grant in adjacency rates from 45km to 30km is €13m.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Training Fund (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The projected additional yield from a 0.1% increase in 2021 in the national training fund levy would be €72.4 million. This is based on a projected NTF levy income of €724 million in 2021 at the existing 1% levy rate which would increase to €796.4 million if the rate was increased by 0.1% to 1.1%. It should be noted that in line with a Government commitment, the NTF...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Training Fund (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The following table sets out for the years 2015 to 2020 the national training fund levy; levy income; the projected yield at budget time of each 0.1% increase; the actual yield in the full calendar year following the increase. Year NTF Levy Rate NTF Levy Income Projected Yield for each 0.1% increase in NTF levy Actual Yield for each 0.1% increase...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (9 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: Third Level Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and as such are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes. Therefore responsibility for placements, examinations and assessments rests ultimately with each individual institution. The national co-ordination group for tertiary education, which includes representatives...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Universal Support Ireland (9 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: Third Level Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: My Department has recently allocated €15 million of capital funding for a once-off COVID-19 grant to support disadvantaged students in the further and higher education sectors in accessing ICT devices. The grant is being made available to further and higher education providers, who are using it to purchase devices to support disadvantaged students who are encountering challenges in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Springboard Programme (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Eligibility for Springboard+ courses for those in receipt of payments operated by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is the responsibility of that Department. In advance of commencing a course of education or training, either part-time or full-time, including Springboard+ courses, a person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be required to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 217 together. The Deputy will be aware of the recently announced €168m funding package for the return to education. This package includes a €10m access support package for higher education students. I have approved the allocation of €8.1m of this funding to top up the Student Assistance Fund, which assists students in a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Priorities (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The challenge to meet the need to compete on the international market for available job vacancies is a priority for my Department. Structures such as the National Skills Council, the Regional Skills Fora, the National Training Fund Advisory Group and the Apprenticeship Council help identify and respond to skills needs and ensure that we have a national and regional labour force equipped...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: In line with the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030, the Government continues to support the development and progression of technological universities (TUs) as a key national strategic objective in advancing the higher education, skills, access, research and regional development agendas. The Programme for Government 2020 commits to supporting recently established TUs and to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Priorities (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Government published earlier this Summer, specifically pages 114-119, sets out priority objectives for the further and higher education, research, innovation and science sector. This includes higher education funding and restructuring, further education and community education sectors, apprenticeships, student supports , tackling sexual harassment in higher and further...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Innovation 2020, the current national strategy for research and development, science and technology, acknowledges the importance of having a pipeline of skilled and talented individuals playing a critical factor in innovation provision and devlopment. The expansion of higher education has been a key enabling factor in this regard and by extenson in the growth of the Irish economy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: As part of the multi-billion euro July stimulus package announced recently, an additional €100m million will be allocated to further and higher education and training. These measures are aimed at helping people return to the workplace or education after they may have lost jobs and income due to Covid-19. Some key measures in the education and training sector include: - The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 to 227, inclusive, together. The further and higher education system has a number of key strategies in place to ensure we meet existing and future skills demands. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified graduates, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Higher Education Institutions (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Innovation 2020, the current national strategy for research and development, science and technology, is due to conclude at the end of this year. Its successor strategy, which will be developed by my Department, will set out a renewed vision for research and innovation in Ireland. The new strategy will be developed in consultation with all other relevant Government departments and agencies and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (9 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Education's Projections of Demand for Full-Time Third Level Education estimate that 196,609 students will be enrolled in full-time higher education in the 2020/2021 academic year. Further details on these projections can be found on the Department of Education's website at the following link: There are no projections of enrolment available for Further Education. The actual...