Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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512. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria used to determine the six indicators for the higher education access route; his views on whether the rigid application of same can further exclude poor students; the numbers of applicants refused this term; and the breakdown of refusals by each indicator used (details supplied) in tabular form. [37274/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) scheme is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) who set the policy criteria for the scheme.  Admissions under the scheme are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the schemes, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places.

Applications to the scheme are submitted to the Central Applications Office (CAO) who coordinate the scheme for participating institutions.  As such, my Department has no role in determining the policy criteria or operation of the scheme. However, my officials have made some enquiries on your behalf to the IUA.

The Irish Universities Association has advised that HEAR eligibility is determined on combinations of six criteria, the details of which can be accessed at: www.accesscollege.ie and/or www.cao.ie. To be eligible for the HEAR Scheme, the only compulsory indicator is that of low income. Applicants must meet that indicator plus a specific combination of two of the other indicators. I understand that the IUA and participating institutions take expert advice from statutory and non-statutory bodies in relation to the criteria to be applied.

In terms of the statistics requested by the Deputy, the IUA publish an annual report outlining the broad data on the scheme.  I have attached a copy of the report for the Deputy’s convenience.