Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 October 2021
88. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the detail of the work and engagement his Department has had with third-level institutions in relation to sexual violence, information campaigns, reporting tools and support; if there are plans in the near future to further expand such engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49763/21]
View answerOur higher education institutions have a responsibility to their students and staff to foster a campus culture that is clear in the condemnation of unwanted and unacceptable behaviours, which act as barriers to their safety and their active participation in college life.
In April 2019 the Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions:“Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions” was launched and to assist institutions with its implementation funding of over €400,000 has been provided to a number of initiatives. In addition, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has allocated over €500,000 towards such areas as consent workshops, the development of the anonymous report and support tool, and the UCC Bystander intervention programme. Prior to and since the launch of the Framework, our institutions have undertaken activities in this area as part of their student services remit from within their overall funding allocations.
Last year I wrote to the Presidents of the publicly funded higher education institutions, as I wanted to strengthen institutional action in this area. I requested our institutions to produce individual action plans on tackling sexual violence and harassment. These action plans were completed earlier this year, and institutions must report annually on their progress in implementing the Framework.
In April 2021, I launched surveys into staff and student experiences of sexual violence and sexual harassment in our higher education institutions. The surveys, which were conducted by the HEA, were sent to all students and staff by their higher education institution, and a report on the surveys will be submitted to my Department shortly.
In July this year, together with Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Hildegarde Naughton, I launched a new online learning hub to provide an integrated, publicly available resource on sexual consent awareness and consent learning resources. At the heart of this partnership will be a dedicated website, with resources that the Active Consent research team in NUI Galway has already developed for the third-level sector, as well as newly-designed resources supported by this project. This online learning hub will provide an important resource not only for our higher education institutions, but also for a wider community. This initiative builds on the work of the pioneering Active Consent team and is part of a government initiative to improve the understanding on the meaning of, and importance of, consent in sexual activity.
In addition, Speak Out, an Online Anonymous Reporting Tool for Sexual Harassment and Violence across higher education institutions will shortly be launched. This project is led by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland, with the support of the HEA.
I want to ensure that our higher education institutions embed the Framework for Consent into their policies and procedures, so as to ensure their long-lasting impact. This is a priority for my Department and we will be closely following progress in this area.
