Ms Claire O'Connell:

Cork has very successfully piloted its own programme this year with training in the culinary arts. This is an area that needs to be expanded with all universities.

The Maynooth University partnership steering committee view this as a template for further partnership arrangements. Another important matter has arisen from the university partnership because people of like mind sat around a table and conversations happened. As part of those conversations, we examined how open and welcoming our universities are to people with criminal convictions. We had a discussion on fair admissions policies. Following that, with the support of the Probation Service, the Unlocking Potential project was established. This seeks not just to provide support and advice to students with criminal convictions who are looking to apply to a college, but also has a strong aim of assisting third level education institutions to redesign their admissions policies and create fairer policies that only ask questions about criminal history if they are relevant to the course of study.

Going back to what the Chair said about a student who has had college time disrupted, there are sometimes ways to continue the learning, depending on the college, when people are in prison. I have had second or third year students in a particular college. We have contacted the college, which has been keen to support us to help the students to continue their studies. It liaised with me to provide material. This is more relevant if a student is only going to be in prison for a short time and hopes to be able to re-enter the course upon release. Sometimes there is an opportunity for people to consider their studies and we are not necessarily looking at a deferral. It is not an official arrangement. It depends on the college, but it does happen.