Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 July 2022
75. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps that he is taking to ensure the roll-out of a sexual violence response programme (details supplied) to all third level educational institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36283/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for her question on this matter.
Tackling sexual violence and harassment in our tertiary education system is and will remain, a key policy focus for me and my Department. In August 2020, I wrote to all publicly funded HEIs outlining my commitment to tackling sexual violence and harassment in higher education and requesting a number of actions in this area, including the development of institutional action plans on tackling sexual violence and harassment. In this regard, I have been advised that all publicly-funded HEIs now have such action plans in place. I have also expanded the remit of the HEA’s Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality to cover all areas of equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as oversight of the implementation of the Framework for Consent in HEIs.
To assist institutions with implementation of the Framework, funding of over €400,000 has been allocated by my Department to a number of initiatives since its launch. These initiatives have mainly focused on training, education and awareness raising initiatives. The HEA has allocated further funding of over €500,000 towards consent workshops, the development of the anonymous report and support tool, and the intervention programme referred to by the Deputy. The HEA has allocated €20,000 to support the roll out of a pilot of the online version of the programme referenced to all HEIs in 2022.
In January 2019 the Online Programme referenced by the Deputy was launched. The programme educates and empowers participants to recognise acts of sexual harassment and violence and to cultivate their capacity to demand a zero-tolerance approach to all such behaviour, enabled by their upskilling in making safe and effective interventions. Stepping in to identify and stop sexual harassment and violence rightly places the spotlight on the perpetrator and their behaviour whilst providing support for the vulnerable party. Each intervention can be both informative and transformative for the parties involved. Through targeted training, these interventions can be normalised, and ultimately identify a new level of expectation, and a new normal for all in society.
This training is a key targeted educational initiative to support staff and students in higher education to identify and challenge all forms of sexual harassment and violence.
The Intervention programme has advised that it has responded to the growing interest from second levels schools by developing a pilot Intervention programme training programme. This was initially developed in collaboration with 7 Cork City and county schools. Training has subsequently been delivered to 140 teachers, and it is being rolled out in 45 schools.
