Dr. Frances O'Connell:

With regard to the various funding we get, we now have the programme for access to higher education, PATH, 4. The PATH initiatives are about trying to increase specific segments of our student population. This is very much about universal design. Phase 1 was introduced last year. TUS is very strong on this. In my area we have a centre for pedagogical innovation and development. We are focusing on universal design with regard to our curriculum and facilities. We look at this through the activities in my area and generally across the university in the subcommittees of the academic council. With regard to the funding, we received €162,000 for PATH 4 supports, which is about universal design. This is to try to bridge us into the next phase of supporting students with intellectual disabilities who come in. Deputy Tully can imagine the nature of supports we need for those with intellectual disabilities. The type of case management and one-to-one supports and the nature of them is very important.

I want to pick up on another point. With regard to universal design and the physical infrastructure of our classrooms, we are now very aware about it in signage, lighting and space but if we were to pull out the lighting of our rooms and so on, €160,000 would not do an awful lot. It is about managing expectations when we announce initiatives such as this. I thank the Minister because we now have specific focus on these initiatives. It is about scaling the investment to support the expectation that we have for our students entering higher education and fulfilling the obligation of the public service in the provision of higher education. This is our obligation and we want to fulfil it for our students so we can see them graduate. They can contribute to the Exchequer and they can be active citizens across the spectrum of autism. We are here to support this. It would be better to regularise and increase realistically the funding models and have the substantial funding we know we need to support all our students rather than having exceptional vertical funds.