Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. I will go through my statement because there is information within it that I want to share with colleagues. I will go through it quickly if that is okay with the Chairman.

I thank the committee for having me and my officials here today. Like the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and their officials, we are working tirelessly to enact the view of the Irish people and that of the Government to the effect that we must, and we will, be unequivocal in welcoming people fleeing Ukraine. It is our collective determination to deliver on our obligations to support access to education, social income and accommodation. Of course this is challenging. There are no two ways about it, but we are legally obliged to respond and, more importantly, we are morally required to do the right thing.

I am very proud to see that this approach is widely reflected throughout our society and in the education sector. I am also pleased to say that we remain united with our fellow European Union member states in our condemnation of and revulsion at Putin’s war in Ukraine. On 18 March, alongside our European partners, I signed a statement on behalf of Ireland condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The key aim of this statement was to signal support for higher education students and staff in Ukraine and to suspend Russia’s rights of representation on all structures and activities of the European higher education area.

In March, I asked Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, who has responsibility for innovation, research, culture, education and youth to convene a special Education Council meeting in order that we might adopt a common approach and response across all member states on the continuance of access to education. I am very glad this meeting took place. We had a very useful discussion, and it allowed for a clear and united message to be sent to Russia that EU member states are united in their stance on Russia’s illegal, immoral and unjustified war. The Ukrainian Minister also took part in that meeting. The picture of destruction of education infrastructure in Ukraine provides a further imperative for me and for us to respond as generously as possible to the plight of Ukrainian students now residing in Ireland.

Sadly, the numbers fleeing the destruction and violence visited on their homeland continue to grow, and facilitating the significant numbers of people arriving is challenging, not least for the education sector. I would like to put on record with this committee my appreciation for all working in the sector and working with us to address these challenges throughout the period. The Irish higher education sector has been open and generous in its response to the crisis. The sector has worked constructively with my Department to facilitate the further studies of those arriving from Ukraine.

In line with the European Council decision of 4 March, the Government has committed to ensuring access to the labour market and to the education system to qualified persons on the same basis as citizens of Ireland. My officials have written to the Irish University Association, IUA, and the Technological Higher Education Association, THEA, confirming that qualified persons, people from Ukraine residing here, should be treated as Irish students - not international students - in terms of fees.

Furthermore, my officials are examining how these students may be further supported, including financially, to facilitate their continuing education in Ireland. I plan to bring a memorandum to Government to agree additional supports for Ukrainian students within the next few weeks. I am happy to share some initial proposals with colleagues and this will confirm that Ukrainian students will not pay international fees. We will also provide student supports, which will be equal to the SUSI grant scheme. This memorandum to Government will also ensure that displaced Ukrainians living in Ireland can access our post-leaving certificate courses for free. Crucially, additional funds will be made available for mental health services in order to ensure that adequate services are available to Ukrainian students. This memorandum will be considered by Government shortly and I will then be happy to share more details with the committee.

Colleagues may also know that we have tried to co-ordinate the response across the higher education sector. We have established a national student and researcher helpdesk for Ukrainian students, researchers and higher education staff. This has been operational since last month. It is hosted in Maynooth University, and I thank the university for that. It involves all universities and higher education institutions across the State. They have seconded individuals from admissions offices, career guidance support and other areas. It is now a single point of contact for all displaced students who are seeking access to higher education. This will guide applicants through the documentation required to support their continued access to higher education, and the helpdesk will then be able to direct students to a local college equipped to meet their individual educational needs.

In agreeing to fund this helpdesk, I am aware that it is very well staffed by admissions and research advisers, who are the best-placed people to give advice to students and researchers. I am happy to tell the committee that since its establishment, the helpdesk has dealt with more than 500 queries. This number is expected to grow over the summer months. I would encourage colleagues here - and anyone watching these proceedings - who receive calls or emails from students looking for assistance to direct them to the national helpdesk. This is where they will be able to meet with the experts who will be able to look at the individual circumstances and guide them on what is best in the context of the continuation of their education.

I will be honest with the committee and state that one of the biggest challenges we are facing in my Department is the issue of English language supports. English language supports are, obviously, essential to people arriving from Ukraine. The 16 ETBs are offering ESOL courses right across the country in response to demand presenting locally. I am happy to share with this committee details of each ETB contact person. Again, there is a specific contact point within each ETB for the provision of English language courses. Ukrainians wishing to learn English or to improve their English, can contact their local ETB for an assessment of their English language competency in reading, writing, speaking and listening. The ETBs will identify appropriate language and additional learning supports. Of course, this service is free of charge. In some ETBs such as in Kerry, Limerick and Clare, ESOL provision is delivered on an outreach basis in the centres and in the accommodation facilities where Ukrainians are living. This has the benefit of enabling their participation around childcare in a familiar setting but also has the function of providing information and orientation, not only in terms of their education and training options but also in accessing local services.

The ETBs are also exploring the possibility of continuing professional development courses over the summer months to upskill or retrain Ukrainian teachers to provide tutoring services. I saw this work very well in Clare recently where a Ukrainian teacher is now upskilled to teach English to other Ukrainian people. They are also reviewing the possible use of e-college for this provision. Following a survey of ETB staff, Education and Training Boards Ireland ran a webinar on the topic of psychological first aid. This is important. We must remember that these staff are dealing with people who have fed from a war zone and with people who may be presenting with trauma.

We need to make sure that we continue to beef up the provision of English language support. I am being honest with the committee - and it is important that we are honest here - that when I go around the country I hear a variation in the intensity of English language supports. It is provided everywhere and is provided in every ETB. We are in the business of now trying to recruit and train more people so that adults in particular can get that intense level of English language they may require.

I have met some Ukrainians who are very grateful for the English language training being provided but who tell me they could do with more classes more regularly. We are working through that. As colleagues will know, the level of English language competency required to participate in higher education is different from that provided by the ETBs. With that in mind, a working group comprising representatives from the higher education sector has been established to support the acquisition of English language competency for academic purposes. Proposals designed to support Ukrainian students for the coming academic year will be submitted to my Department imminently.

Many people ask me what is to happen in the case of Ukrainian students who have not yet accessed higher education. I refer here to the equivalent of our leaving certificate students. These students have not done a leaving certificate or the Ukrainian equivalent. It has always been clear to me that Ukraine is very keen to maintain its connection with its student population. The Ukrainian Minister has made that clear to me and to my European counterparts. To help maintain this link, Ireland has committed to hosting sessions of this year’s Ukrainian higher education entrance examinations. I am pleased to inform the committee of this. It is quite a significant development. There will be three exams. There will be one exam for entrance into higher education, the national multi-subject test, and two entrance exams for master's level: the master's test for educational competence for admission into master’s degrees and the master’s comprehensive test for admission into a speciality subject. The examinations will be taken online in a dedicated testing centre and my officials are working with the IUA and THEA to source the necessary staff, testing centres and equipment. As of 30 May, only a few days ago, my Department has been made aware of 229 students who wish to take the undergraduate testin July.

There is an ongoing commitment to provide every support possible for Ukrainian citizens who are seeking the recognition of their qualifications. As I am sure is also the case for colleagues, I meet many people from Ukraine who are living in Ireland and who are very keen to work. They want to get back working. Many of them are highly skilled and highly qualified. My Department is responsible for the implementation of the EU directive on professional qualifications and, in that regard, we provide critical support to the work of the appropriate competent authorities by sharing best practice material supplied by the European Commission. This includes working with and supporting these authorities as they implement the recently published Commission recommendation on the recognition of qualifications for people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Where professions are regulated, such as the professions of doctor, nurse and teacher, the decision to recognise qualifications rests with the relevant national independent regulator or competent authority. For example, if a person wishes to practise as a doctor, he or she will need to engage with the Medical Council, while those wishing to practise as nurses will need to engage with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. Ireland has more than 45 such authorities covering a very wide range of professions from surgeons to security door personnel. Many of these authorities have already reached out to engage with the Ukrainian community and have published dedicated material on their websites to support Ukrainians. My Department is continuing to work with our national competent authorities, their parent Departments, the European Commission and other member states on this issue. Through the National Academic Recognition Information Centre, NARIC, Ireland, a service hosted and operated by QQI, advice can be readily obtained on the academic recognition of foreign qualifications. I direct colleagues to that service, which is free of charge, fully online and available in a wide range of languages spoken by Ukrainians. I am very pleased to say that, in addition, SOLAS has scheduled the first of two Ukrainian language Safe Pass programmes with an approved Ukrainian interpreter used to help with delivery. Fourteen people from Ukraine have been granted the Safe Pass to date. As members will know, the pass is required for people who wish to work on a construction site. We have made sure that training is provided in a wide range of languages used by people from Ukraine.

I will also update the committee on another matter, which I am sure we will get into during questions. We are working to ensure that Irish students who were studying in Ukraine can continue their studies here. Approximately 60 Irish medical and dental students were forced to abandon their studies. In the interests of time, perhaps we can come back to that through members' questions rather than dealing with it now.

As the Chair will know, we are also working on making student accommodation available on a short-term basis during the summer period. It is not a long-term solution nor can it be but it may provide a little bit of breathing space as our housing authorities and local authorities work to put longer-term arrangements in place.