Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. Her analysis is right and honest. This is a situation that will evolve, as the Senator noted. We are at the early stages, from the point of view of our sector.

The first thing you need when you arrive in a new country having fled war is not higher education, but accommodation, food, safety, checking in with your family, learning the English language in the community, and getting your kid into school. These are the immediate needs. The front-line response that my Department has been involved in is English language provision in the community. That is going well but it is under a great deal of demand. We need to beef it up and do more. The Senator is right, in that this issue will undoubtedly grow, if that is the right phrase, over the next 12 months.

Regarding a student from Ukraine with a learning disability - the Senator referenced dyslexia - or additional educational needs, I will give two answers. That student will have the same access as an Irish citizen to the range of supports that are in place. Any support that is in place for an Irish student with a disability in college - we will be announcing more policy on this matter tomorrow - will be available to Ukrainian students. They will be treated no differently and will not miss out on any of those supports. We have a fund for students with disabilities that works well in our colleges. In fact, people often tell me that the level of support in higher education compares well to other sectors of society.