Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Dowd. According to my note, 77 personal assistants are directly employed by the ETBs. I am open to correction on this but the note also indicates, and the information available to me suggests, that the majority of personal assistants are employed externally and not directly by ETBs. However, 77 are directly employed by ETBs. The figure for the Louth-Meath ETB in the Deputy's area is 15. That gives a context to all this because 3,829 students in 2021 accessed the fund for students with disabilities. A total of 2,165 of them used the fund for academic and learning support, 636 for assistive technologies, equipment and software, 26 for deaf supports, 563 for exam supports, 399 for non-medical helpers, which could be personal assistants, 34 for transport supports and six for work placements.

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