“A row has erupted over the exclusion of students in private higher education colleges from the free antigen testing programme rolled out by Minister Simon Harris. The Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA) say they, the students and their families were ‘appalled’ at the decision …” (more)
[Independent, 7 December]
“The Government is ‘determined to step up’ cross-border collaboration between third-level institutions with an exchange programme between colleges among the initiatives being considered, the Minister for Further and Higher Education has said …” (more)
[Freya McClements, Irish Times, 6 December]
“The Government is to provide free Covid-19 antigen tests for third-level students in a bid to encourage their use on college campuses. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris will today announce a €9 million fund for further and higher education institutions to provide tests to students …” (more)
[Pat Leahy, Irish Times, 6 December]
“Students at NUI Galway have strongly criticised the university for its decision to continue mass in-person exams for students this year despite growing concerns about rising Covid-19 cases. Photos and videos of NUIG’s exam hall layout have spread around social media with many students complaining that desks were not set up in a socially distanced manner …” (more)
[Jade Wilson, Irish Times, 3 December]
“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund has concluded or if additional calls will be made in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 1 December]
“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he remains committed to the Project Ireland 2040 commitment of Exchequer investment of €2.2 billion in Ireland’s higher education infrastructure over the period to 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 1 December]
“Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the practice of third-level institutions passing on student debt arising from unpaid fees to debt collectors; if he will introduce regulations to prevent the practice and to prevent the selling on of such debt to third-parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 1 December]
“Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is planned to introduce health regulations in relation to the holding of in-person third-level examinations between the end of November and Christmas 2021 in view of the risk that they might become super-spreader events and cause Covid-19 to be reintroduced by students returning home for Christmas to households throughout the country including parents, vulnerable family members and grandparents; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 1 December]
“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he continues to facilitate the provision of an adequate number of qualified academics and technicians to meet the requirements of the modern workforce; the areas he has identified as requiring special attention; his plans to meet such requirements in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil debates, 30 November]
“Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the operation of the Speak Out tool for the anonymous reporting of violence and harassment in higher and further education institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil debates, 30 November]
“Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the likely timeline by which Dundalk Institute of Technology will attain technological university status as part of the technological university project which has transformed higher education across the State (details supplied); and if he will ensure that the institute will not continue to be left behind …” (more)
[Dáil debates, 30 November]
“Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to deal with the issue of student poverty and, in particular, the chronic shortage of affordable student specific accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil debates, 30 November]
“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if students will have a remote option for end of semester exams; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil debates, 30 November]
“Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the student protests which took place on 23 November 2021 led by a union (details supplied): the way he plans to reduce the cost of the student contribution and student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil debates, 30 November]
“Trinity students will be heading to the Dáil today to delivery an open letter to Minister for Higher Education, Simon Harris and Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly. The students will call on Government to cancel in-person exams across the country this year as Covid-19 cases continue to rise …” (more)
[Roisin Cullen, DublinLive, 1 December]
“This is a time for students protests, but the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the leading student representative group, attaching itself to an expletive-ridden campaign titled ‘Fuck the Fees’ just gives the government another excuse to dismiss the serious needs of students …” (more)
[University Times, 28 November]
“The Minister for Further and Higher Education has approved 10 more positions at senior academic level in higher education under an initiative to progress gender equality in academia. Simon Harris’s announcement on Monday was made under the Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (Sali) …” (more)
[Mary Carolan, Irish Times, 29 November]
“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the provision of a borrowing framework for the technological universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 23 November]
“Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the suggestion that Dundalk Institute of Technology can achieve university designation as a standalone institute outside the framework of the Technological Universities Act 2018 given that the institute is not partnered with another institute of technology or technological university; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 23 November]
“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris has today (Tuesday) announced his approval in principle for the incorporation of St Angela’s College, Sligo into IT Sligo. Minister Harris said …” (more)
[DFHERIS, 23 November]
