Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I hear what Senator Conway is saying about the importance of this scheme and I am pleased to have the opportunity to update the House on this matter on behalf of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Bookshare Ireland is the National Council for the Blind in Ireland's accessible digital library for people who are blind or vision impaired. The NCBI's library team supports requests to provide accessible reading material in a variety of digital formats to students with print disabilities, including those in higher and most recently further education. In addition, the service also provides access to the digital library to students with a print disability, namely, learning disabilities, including dyslexia, or physical disabilities that prevent access to standard print. Bookshare Ireland estimates that as many as one in ten students in higher and further education in Ireland has a print disability and may benefit from accessing a service like Bookshare Ireland.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science does not currently fund the Bookshare programme and, as such, I am not in a position to update the House on the funding model for the long-term sustainability of the Bookshare programme. However, I can provide an update on the Department's interactions with Bookshare Ireland. In 2019, a once-off capital support was provided in the amount of €150,000 by the former Minister of State at the Department of Education, Mary Mitchell O'Connor, to help the NCBI launch Bookshare Ireland. Bookshare Ireland now supports over 3,000 people, including about 1,140 students. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has received a proposal from the NCBI that seeks a reciprocal partnership approach with his Department in respect of this programme. The funding sought is in addition to the variable funding provided by NCBI fund-raising. Officials from my Department have engaged with the NCBI on its proposal and are considering it. Obviously, we have just agreed our budget and the Department will work with the NCBI to find a pathway forward.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will spend over €350 million on student supports and related activities in 2022, including the fund for students with disabilities, FSD, and initiatives to support the national access plan. The FSD supports participation by students with a disability in further and higher education. The aim is to ensure that students can participate fully in education or on an equal basis with their peers. The disability officers actively promote the ethos of inclusive learning for all students. Recently, the FSD has also been used for projects to develop strategic disability services in higher education institutions and supports for students. Examples include inclusive design in teaching and learning, improving online teaching and learning practices, staff training, improving campus experience for students with disabilities, assistive technology supports and autism-friendly spaces.