Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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19. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the work being carried out to examine how best a person-centred support model for learners with disabilities can be developed across further and higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25306/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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What work is being carried out to examine how best a person-centred support model for learners with disabilities can be developed across further and higher education? I do not think the Minister will be particularly shocked at me asking this question. An element of this question relates to personal assistants, a topic I have spoken about many times. I refer particularly to personal assistants working in further education colleges like Drogheda Institute of Further Education, DIFE, and the Ó Fiaich Institute of Further Education and the need for contracts for them. There is also a need to ensure the review of this work is carried out from the perspective of delivering for the students with disabilities.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy and acknowledge his continuing interest in this area and in the matter he referred to at the end of his question. More generally, at the outset, supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a critical national priority. It is something I have been very much engaged in since I took up my role, as were my predecessors. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is also very much engaged. We are very keen to make an impact and progress in this area. This progress is being made as part of the national access plan. This aims to increase the number of new entrants with disabilities to higher education institutions and to have more people with disabilities accessing further and higher education across the board.

The latest figures available show participation has increased to 14.7% from 12.4% over the past three years. It is on target to reach 16% over the lifetime of the national access plan. In further education, 14,825 learners enrolled in FET programmes in 2023 reported having at least one type of disability. This figure constitutes 6.8% of all learners enrolled in that year. A range of existing supports and programmes are in place for learners with disabilities. The fund for students with a disability is provided across higher education and post-leaving certificate programmes, with an annual allocation of over €15 million. Many other supports fall within the scope of the fund, including assistive technology, non-medical helpers, ISL interpreters, transport supports, examination supports and many other types of supports made available to students where they need them.

The programme for access to higher education, PATH, 4 funding stream under the national access plan supports my Department's goals of enabling all learners with disabilities to avail of higher education. Just this week, I was very pleased to bring to Cabinet increased funding for PATH 4 that is particularly targeted at learners with intellectual disabilities. We have had some very successful courses. The Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities has some outstanding learners. I visited An Garraí Beag, a Down Syndrome Ireland centre, in my area of Sallins last week. I also visited other centres around the country, including Field of Dreams in Cork recently. There is good progress. It is heartening to see people with intellectual disabilities who may never have considered that university or higher education was an option for them actually making that journey now, being part of that system and making a valuable contribution to it.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Obviously, we all welcome the likes of PATH 4 funding. I suppose this is the whole idea in relation to course creation. From a capital perspective, too, there is the idea of making those reasonable accommodations that facilitate more people to be able to access further and higher education. Much work needs to be done. I visited several times the likes of some of the courses being funded. We have a specific course in DkIT that does a great deal of work with people with intellectual disabilities. This is about ensuring there are pathways for all our citizens.

I spoke before about Fórsa having a pay claim in now but the WRC was unable to deal with some of the issues. Reference was made to an interdepartmental review that is required in respect of the work personal assistants do with those who need facilitation relating to a training course. We are talking about people who do a great deal of work and we must do whatever we can to facilitate them.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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As acknowledged regarding PATH 4, I did commit almost €3 million in additional funding just this week towards that funding. I also intend to initiate a disability demonstration project, which will inform the development of the new policy framework for more flexible and responsive tailored supports for those students and their educational journey. A great deal of work is being done.

Regarding the Fórsa claim, I know this is of particular interest to the Deputy. To give some brief background, personal assistants are employed in ETBs usually on fixed-term contracts. They are not paid outside term time, and there are different rules that apply. They are not public servants or covered by section 19 of the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 and they are not members of public sector pension schemes. They stand outside some of those provisions. Last year, the Department reviewed the hourly rate of personal assistants in response to discussions with a representative group of personal assistants. The Deputy may very well have been involved in that discussion. This led to a 42% increase in the hourly rate, which was a significant increase. The rate went from an average of €15 per hour to €21 per hour, with 8% holiday pay on top. Fórsa submitted a claim to the WRC subsequently.

Several aspects were resolved through the WRC conciliation process, including confirmation that qualified personal assistants should be awarded contracts of indefinite duration and their entitlements to sick leave and holiday pay were raised. There was another meeting in March. Further requests have been referred to the Labour Court. It is important that we respect the industrial relations machinery. I know the Deputy has a very strong interest in this area. That work is ongoing in the WRC and Labour Court.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I appreciate the answer from the Minister. We all did considerable lobbying on the hourly rate and welcome its increase, which was not before time. The only way this can become sustainable to allow these people to offer the absolutely necessary services to those with disabilities is by putting a proper 52-week contract in place. Work needs to be done by the Department along with other Departments. We all fear when we hear about interdepartmental reviews but we need to ensure the part that needs to be done here is done to facilitate this while accepting that a review is an absolute necessity to offer the necessary service to those with disabilities. Following our conversation last week, and not for the first time, I have requested a meeting with the PAs. If Fórsa and everybody else could be there, we could get those workers doing really brilliant work. We could settle that and face in the right direction of providing sustainable employment and delivering for those with disabilities.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing advocacy for this group and we have talked about it on a number of occasions already. I know he may be a little sceptical of interdepartmental reviews and the rest of it, but the last one made significant progress. Anyone would acknowledge that a 42% pay increase is a pretty substantial one. Certainly progress has been made but I acknowledge that elements of it are still in dispute. That conciliation process is ongoing and the State has engaged the industrial relations machinery with the various referrals. I am keen to engage on it and keen to facilitate that meeting. The Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, may also engage with me, along with the Deputy. I just need to make sure it is appropriate in the context of the industrial relations process that is live. I will take advice on that but if I can do it, I will.