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Third Level Education

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 October 2021

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Questions (168)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

168. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to ensure continued access to third level for all students seeking to avail of third-level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50141/21]

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Written answers

Equity of Access to Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Programme for Government reflects the importance of supporting learners at risk of education disadvantage and learners with special education needs in higher education. The vision of National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2021 is that the student body entering, participating in, and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population.

Work on the development of the next National Access Plan (NAP) 2022 - 2026 is currently underway. The consultation process, which closed on 18th June 2021, invited all interested parties to make their views known on this matter and other matters related to access to higher education particularly for groups who are underrepresented in the higher education population. One-to-one stakeholder meetings around the specific target groups to be supported for the period of the next NAP are currently underway. Colleagues in my Department are working closely with the HEA on the development of the new Plan with the intention of publishing the plan in the coming months.

My Department is committed to the continued the roll-out of supports for students and targeted initiatives to support delivery of the vision and targets within the National Access Plan.

Apart from the student grant and dedicated access supports it is important to note the range of additional supports which have been put in place for students as part of Budget 2021 and as part of the Government's COVID return to education packages in 2020 and 2021;

- The level of core funding available in the Student Assistance Fund for 2020 and 2021 was doubled;

- €1.9m in the form of a once-off COVID-19 contingency fund to enable HEIs deliver local COVID-19 responses to support disadvantaged students in 2020 and 2021;

- The level of funding for the 1916 Bursary Fund (also known as PATH 2) increased to €5.2 million per annum, which will provide bursaries for the most disadvantaged students within National Access Plan target groups in the country;

- An additional €20 million in funding for SUSI in 2021 to cover increased applications to the scheme;

- €6 million allocated to enhance SUSI support for postgraduates;

- €15 million scheme in 2020 to support access to laptops and digital devices

- Separate capital funding has issued to HEIs in the form of an IT equipment grant and minor works grants, these can be used to address laptop and digitial device requirements for students in 2021.

- €50 million was provided financial assistance to full time third level students in recognition of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on this group.

- €300,000 has been secured through the Dormant Accounts Fund for targeted supports to address the implications of COVID-19 on Traveller participation in higher education.

The objectives of the National Access Plan are supported by a range of interventions and programmes:

- Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) which comprises dedicated funding to support access to higher education and consists of three strands focussed on increasing the participation of under-represented groups in higher education. The PATH fund has a current investment envelope of €40.4 million over the period 2016 to 2022, across the three strands which are currently supporting access to initial teacher education, enables the award of bursaries to the most socio economically disadvantaged students and through the Higher Education Access Fund is supporting institutional capacity in developing regional and community partnership strategies for increasing access to higher education.

- Student Assistance Fund includes ring-fenced funding €1m for part-time students.

- Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) – over €9m in funding every year covering both higher and further education sectors. The purpose of the Fund for Students with Disabilities is to provide funding to higher and further education institutions to assist them in offering supports and services to eligible students with disabilities so that they can access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study. Since 2018 the fund covers part-time students.

- A study commissioned by the Higher Education Authority on the challenges facing mature students in participating in higher education is nearing completion and will be considered in the context of the new National Access Plan currently under development.

- The Action Plan for Increasing Traveller Participation in Higher Education 2019-2021 was launched in 2019 and its aim is to advance Traveller participation in higher education within the context of approaches on retention and transition of Travellers across the education spectrum.

- Persons in the protection process (asylum and subsidiary protection) or leave to remain process are not eligible to access the statutory based SUSI grant scheme. However, the administratively based Student Support Scheme provides supports along similar lines to the SUSI grant scheme and is available to persons in the asylum, subsidiary protection or leave to remain process.

Fostering Inclusion is one of the three core pillars around which the Further Education and Training Strategy (FET) 2020-2024 is built. The FET sector is committed to increasing levels of inclusion through the provision of high quality, more accessible and flexible education and training programmes and supports suited to the identified needs of individuals, with the aim of enabling every citizen to participate fully in society.

FET provision is largely free or heavily subsidised. The only fees are PLC fees which are a nominal €200 per student (not including those entitled to a medical card or SUSI grant). About 40% of students pay the fee. Fees are collected at the start of the academic year.

Apprentices are paid an allowance equivalent to their on-the-job wages for periods spent in education and training institutions. In addition, unemployed participants on training courses are paid a training allowance by ETBs based on their DEASP payment. In the case of training for unemployed people, these allowances are integral parts of the programmes, as (i) they facilitate the participation of individuals who would not otherwise be in a position to take up training and (ii) they ensure that only individuals who are active participants in the training are in receipt of the allowances. Your local Intreo Office can advise if you are entitled to any allowances whilst on a training course.

In addition, accommodation, meal and travel allowances are paid to learners to assist them with the cost of actual attendance on some courses.

In the context of Budget 2022 I am currently giving consideration to the scope, to commence the process of making prioritised improvements to the student grant scheme for the academic year 2022/2023. This would allow early progress in addressing key themes emerging from the Review's consultations and research and recent trends in the cost of living. I am also giving consideration to the ringfencing of some funding for supporting the implementation of the new National Access Plan when published in the coming months.

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