Mr. Tim Conlon:

I thank the Senator for the questions. It is good to have this conversation. I mentioned the Irish Traveller community in my opening comments but did not go into detail because I was over time. There have been marginal improvements in Irish Traveller numbers in higher education. For example, there were 33 new entrants in the year 2020-21 versus 26 in 2012-13, but that was nonetheless very slight incremental growth. Currently, approximately 119 students who are enrolled in higher education institutions identify their background as that of Irish Traveller, compared with 78 about ten years ago.

As for specific programmes, under PATH 1, teacher educators in Mary Immaculate College, MIC, are working to involve Irish Traveller students in teacher education. One of the most important aspects will relate to role models, because they are the people who, for example, encourage students to Ballyfermot College of Further Education to take the first step and look at opportunities ahead, and that is not reflected in classrooms. In the teacher education space, therefore, we are making significant inroads such that people in schools will be able to see themselves reflected in those who teach them and engage with them.

Thirteen Irish Traveller students are registered on the programme and, of those, quite a number are progressing, although not all, given it is challenging to get through education, but we are making some inroads. We are trying to continue and extend the programme and to raise awareness among Traveller students, specifically the 15-to-18-year-old cohort, whom we are trying to engage in the programme. We are seeking also to assist graduates coming out of the programme to progress in their education or into teaching careers. Furthermore, under the third strand, we are examining the recruitment of some students onto PhD programmes to look at the impact of the programme and how we can do more with it. We are using education to educate ourselves, as was said, and trying to learn from the experience.

Moreover, the national access plan is in development and there are a number of clusters nationally that have been identified, although we are trying to engage in regions because, again, it is about engaging with the community and the people who are best placed to influence and support students in their engagement, so those programmes are ongoing. The Irish Traveller and Roma communities will be specific targets in the next access, because they need to be. We are making progress and we need to continue it.