Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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252. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria that allow for the provision of an access officer in a third level institution or college; the reasons an access officer is not available in all colleges including smaller colleges, bearing in mind the crucial financial assistance provided by an access officer to students; if she will provide a list of the colleges that have an access officer and those that do not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38997/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Each institution in receipt of exchequer funding, whether through the HEA or through the higher education grants scheme, is required to develop and implement a plan to support access by economically or socially disadvantaged people, people with disabilities and people from sections of society significantly under-represented in the student body. This has been a requirement under legislation for the universities and constituent colleges since the Universities Act 1997, for the Institutes of Technology since 2006 and for other institutions approved under the higher education grants scheme since the Student Support Act 2011. In addition, the Disability Act 2005 (section 26), requires the head of each public body, including education institutions, to authorise at least one member of staff to co-ordinate the provision of assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities in accessing the services provided by that body.

An access element of the HEA funding allocation model recognises performance by each institution in relation to access and supports those institutions in developing an appropriate infrastructure to support participation by students from target groups in the national access plan. These groups include students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, those with disabilities and mature new entrants to higher education. Each of the 26 HEA funded institutions has at least one access officer or another designated person with responsibility for this area of policy and practice.

Student Assistance Funding is managed on behalf of the Department by the Higher Education Authority. This fund is administered on a local basis by thirty-one participating higher education institutions to those students who are most in need. Each participating institution is advised of its individual allocation in advance of the academic year in order to facilitate timely planning and disbursement to students. The HEA approved an allocation for the Student Assistance Fund for the 2014/15 academic year of €6.6m.

The table details the Higher Education Authority (HEA) designated institutions with access officers.