Results 10,901-10,920 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Offices (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The Department of Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science operates from accommodation provided by the Department of Education and Science and the response provided by that Department will incorporate this Department.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Advisers (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: In accordance with the terms of the Public Service Management Act 1997 I will be appointing two Special Advisers to assist me in carrying out my ministerial functions at the Department which will not be subject to a civil service secondment arrangement. The current salary scale applicable to the position of Special Adviser is as follows: Point Amount 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (8 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. As providers, it is the responsibility of each higher education institution (HEI) to put in place appropriate supports to ensure that the needs of students of disabilities are met. Each HEI has an access and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: Under my Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible full-time undergraduate students with students paying the student contribution which currently stands at €3,000. The Student Contribution, was introduced with effect from the 2011/12 academic year. There has been no increase in the contribution since 2014/15. In...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Ministerial Advisers (8 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I envisage that two special advisers will be appointed by my Department.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy and I will respond to him in writing on those issues. The Deputy is exactly right about the new appreciation we all have for teachers and other people working throughout the education system. I look forward to working with Deputy Carey on trying to drive investment. I saw some very positive investment in regard to the further education facility in Ennis in recent days...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy. If we were in normal times, I would organise a briefing in the audiovisual room. However, I hope to organise an online briefing for Oireachtas Members on the SUSI grant system with SUSI officials. I know we are all getting a lot of queries into our offices, so I will arrange for that to happen very shortly. I want to make sure there is flexibility this year. SUSI...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I will send the Deputy a note on the technicalities in regard to how that is done but I believe it is working quite well. If the Deputy's belief is to the contrary, I will come back to him on that. On the issue of accommodation, there are two points. First, we do not have enough college-owned accommodation. There is an issue at present, as the Deputy will know from his own...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: There certainly should not be. Through the Higher Education Authority, we have effectively given a quota to each higher education institution. We have ordered almost 17,000 in bulk and they are distributed. Legally, I think they may remain in the ownership of the college but they are given to the student, and there absolutely should not be any fee associated with that.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: All institutions funded through the Higher Education Authority should have received funding from the mental health pot, if we may call it that, and from the digital pot. Those institutions in the further education space that have not received it should receive funding through the education and training boards, the ETBs. I am aware that the Deputy and I are due to have a meeting next week on...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I will ask the Minister, Deputy Foley, and will come back to the Deputy on the issue of engaging. It is always important that Government engages with people, so I hope that could happen. On the specific issue on lecturers and staffing, if people have underlying health conditions their health must be our priority. There are established protocols in primary, second level, and higher...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: The review has not started yet. The Deputy will forgive me as I am just eight weeks in office. It is my intention to prioritise it. It is a key commitment in the programme for Government. The priority I have attached so far is to make sure the scheme this year understands the fact the people's income can have changed during the year as a result of Covid-19. I met with SUSI on this...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I am planning on a review of SUSI but I will see if we can expedite that based on the point Deputy Cairns made and I will write to her directly on it. The Deputy asked if the colleges know about the extra places, which is an important point. We went out to them. Of the 1,250 additional places, which is approximately a 3% increase, we identified 363 in health and education, where we asked...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I did not know that was the format.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I was not aware of that but I am more than happy to respond. If I do not get to all the issues in the brief time I have, I will write to the Deputy, if that is okay. The House has, on all sides, been in an almost "Father Ted" mode of asking whether there is anything to be said for another committee. The Cassells report came before an all-party committee, which decided it would be worth...

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: That is okay, but I do not want people who watch these proceedings at home to think I do not wish to answer the questions.

Back to School, Further and Higher Education and Special Education: Statements (3 Sep 2020)

Simon Harris: I am glad to have this opportunity to address the House as Minister with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science. I will be sharing time with the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. Deputies have already received an update regarding the schools sector. It is a testament to the work of parents, teachers, principals, special needs assistants,...

Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil (30 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: Withdraw that.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh. I look forward to having our own stand-alone question time in September so we can tease these issues out. I am very conscious that this is an important time for students finishing second-level education and hoping to progress to employment, further education and training or higher education. My own Department and the Department of Education and Skills are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: State Examinations (30 Jul 2020)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for those questions. I made similar inquiries about mental health supports this morning. The €3 million in additional funding that we have provided has been allocated to the Higher Education Authority. That body will now distribute it among the individual institutions. I expect it to be used to increase the capacity of the counselling services that are...