Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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55. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to create more equal access to third-level education. [28335/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, 2015-2019, provides the framework for promoting equity of access to higher education.

The vision of the National Access Plan is to ensure that the student body entering into, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland's population.

The Plan identifies the main target groups for my Department in relation to promoting access to higher education:

- Entrants from socio-economic groups that have low participation in higher education.

- First time, mature student entrants.

- Students with disabilities.

- Part-time/flexible learners.

- Further education award holders.

- Irish Travellers.

My Department has allocated approximately €400 million to support these target groups in the 2016/17 academic year. The range of student supports that are available include the Student Grant Scheme, the Student Assistance Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities.

The National Access Plan also contains a number of new actions that will benefit these target groups. These include reaching out directly to disadvantaged communities, developing a national policy for recognition of prior learning, and addressing non-completion in higher education. These actions are currently being progressed by my Department in conjunction with the Higher Education Authority.

In fulfilment of one of the actions in the National Access Plan I recently announced funding of €2.7 million over 3 years for measures that will increase participation in initial teacher education by the target groups in the National Access Plan. The intention is to challenge centres of teaching excellence to come up with innovative solutions to this policy issue. This measure will help to provide positive role models in the classroom for students in disadvantaged areas.

In publishing the report of the expert group on future funding of the higher education sector, I  indicated my intention to ensure that any additional funding for higher education would be supported by new performance-based funding mechanisms and new targets for improved outcomes for the users and funders of the service. This will include new targets to further widen access to and participation in higher education for students from disadvantaged areas and other underrepresented groups.