Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 1088: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects to transfer responsibility for institutes of technology to the Higher Education Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24472/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the proposals for modernisation and reform of the higher education sector contained in the OECD review of higher education in Ireland, the Government recently approved the early drafting of an Institutes of Technology Bill 2005 to transfer responsibility for the day-to-day management of the institutes of technology sector from the Department of Education and Science to a reconstituted Higher Education Authority. This will facilitate the development of a strategic approach to higher education within a unified policy framework and the gradual devolution to the institutes of technology of greater academic and managerial autonomy.

The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government is currently finalising the drafting of the Bill and expects to have a first draft available shortly. On completion of the drafting process, the draft Bill will be brought to Government seeking approval to publish. Transfer of responsibility for the institutes of technology will be effected when the legislation has been enacted.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 1089: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will consider setting up a direct entry system to institutes of technology for students with disabilities to facilitate their participation in higher education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24473/05]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 1090: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will address the problems experienced by students with disabilities in institutes of technology by requiring the colleges to draft and implement a policy on disability, by providing a duplicate fund for this purpose as well as for the employment of disability officers in the institutes of technology; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24474/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1089 and 1090 together.

The position at present is that six of the universities operate a direct entry system for students with a disability. The arrangements in place under the system, such as the points threshold for entry to courses, the type of courses that students can enter, and the selection procedures for admission to courses are matters for which each institution is responsible. In the institute of technology sector, the Dublin Institute of Technology also operates a direct entry system with its own admissions arrangements.

The absence of a formal direct entry system in the institutes of technology does not mean that the sector is not catering for students with a disability. A recent report for the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability, AHEAD, which examined the participation of and services for students with disabilities in the institutes of technology show that there were some 1,366 undergraduates with disabilities enrolled in the institutes in the 2004-05 academic year. This represented 2.7% of the undergraduate population in the institutes and is a significant improvement since 1998-99 when the rate was 1.5%.

The institutes of technology offer a broad range of courses at a range of levels such as higher certificate, ordinary degree and honours degree, many with low points requirements, and students with a disability can access their chosen course, at higher certificate level if necessary, and then progress to their full potential.

As part of the implementation of the national action plan on access, the national office for equity of access to higher education is currently completing an evaluation of access programmes for all under-represented groups in higher education, including students with a disability. The evaluation aims to identify what works in access programmes and to support the development of good practice in all higher education institutions. Emerging findings point to the importance of clear policies and practical objectives and targets to achieve equity of access. Following completion of the evaluation in December 2005, the national office proposes to work with all institutions to develop their access policies and practice, and to encourage effective monitoring and evaluation of progress.

The national access office is also currently working with the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities to evaluate another direct entry system in place in some of the universities and the DIT for socio-economically disadvantaged students. The outcome of this evaluation, which is expected in January 2006, should be of assistance in establishing the merits of direct entry systems and also their impact on entry systems and procedures in general.