Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and this committee for its work. It is a very valuable addition to the work of the Oireachtas. From my own perspective and that of my Department we do not see this as a once-off engagement. We will publish the national access plan. That is a higher education document but we will be publishing it shortly. I imagine the committee will want to be kept informed on that and how that helps us to align our work with our legal and moral obligations in regard to the UNCRPD. Similarly the progress I expect we will make on the apprenticeship agenda which, if we get it right, could be a real bridge towards addressing the goals of the comprehensive education strategy. I will provide updates on the points made by both Senators in regard to outcomes, return on investment and accountability around what happens to the money. I am very happy to keep in touch with this committee on that. I feel strongly about the community education piece. Beyond disability in general there is a great deal of good work going on such as An Cosán. There are many examples. We must make sure we are fully utilising that and that they are part of the family, the ecosystem. I can assure the Chair that there are voices of students with disabilities involved. In light of the Chair's comment I will make sure that it is robustly involved in our work. My strong understanding is that it is. In meetings I attend I always directly hear that voice. One of the additions we are seeing in the Department in recent months is that we are now engaging directly with postgraduate students with disabilities which is perhaps a new voice or a new perspective we are now hearing.

We are excited about the agenda. The Taoiseach established this Department. It allowed a focus to be put on third level education. We are making sure that focus is as inclusive as it possibly can be. Education is the circuit-breaker. In terms of deprivation, access, families and communities and potential, education is the single greatest circuit-breaker we have. We accept the challenges the committee has set us.