Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the funds invested in the DARE third level scheme; if there are Departmental funds involved; if so, the amount of same; if he has an analysis of the number of DARE student places allocated by each third level college/university to each of the faculties; if he will outline the breakdown in relation to agricultural science degree or its equivalent since the commencement of the scheme; the qualifying criteria for same; if he will list the third level colleges/universities that are operating the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42432/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The collaborative schemes HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) have been developed by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) with the overall aim of widening access and participation in higher education for school-leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or with a disability.

Over the years 2006-2011 the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has allocated €1.1m through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to support the development of these schemes by the IUA and participating institutions. Both schemes have now been mainstreamed and are being sustained through the overall core grant allocation of each participating institution.

In 2012 thirteen institutions participated in the DARE scheme for school-leavers with disabilities. These are NUI Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway, University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, Mater Dei Institute, National College of Ireland, Pontifical University Maynooth, Athlone Institute of Technology and Cork Institute of Technology.
Each college or university taking part in the DARE scheme has allocated a limited number of places on a reduced points basis for students entering through DARE. This number or quota is different for each college and university. Details of the quotas on the website of each college and university that takes part in the scheme (see www.accesscollege.ie) and are summarised in the attached tables. Information on the number of places being offered through the DARE scheme by each institution and faculty is not immediately available, but is being sought from participating institutions and will be forwarded to the Deputy. The overall number of applications, offers and acceptances through the DARE scheme for the academic year 2011 are detailed in the attached tables. The number of applications has risen in 2012-13 and data on the final numbers of offers and acceptances for the academic year just starting will be available shortly.

Quotas 1st Year of Undergraduates places DARE 2012