Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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337. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action he will take regarding a CAO appeal by a person (details supplied). [48965/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate that it can be quite upsetting for an applicant to realise their examination information was incorrect. If Ms Donegan feels that she has been unfairly treated in this matter, she may seek redress via the office of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman provides an impartial, independent and free dispute resolution service, and the CAO falls within the remit of the office of the Ombudsman. In addition, it may be noted here that under Section 40 of the Disability Act 2005, redress may be sought via the Office of the Ombudsman if the difficulty in question is due to the CAO having failed to carry out their accessibility responsibility under Sections 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 of the Act.

Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO. The CAO is responsible for the processing of applications for undergraduate - and some postgraduate - courses on the behalf of Higher Education Institution, who make decisions regarding admissions that are in line with their institutional autonomy. Following these decisions, the HEIs then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. As such, my Department and I have no remit to overrule the CAO on the matter of CAO appeals.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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338. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will request the Central Applications Office to review the graphical user interface of its application system to ensure it is compliant with the Disability Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48972/21]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on the behalf of Higher Education Institutions. Decisions on admissions are made by the HEIs, in line with their institutional autonomy, who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in the operation of the CAO, and it is not within my remit to influence their operation.

If the CAO are failing to comply with Sections 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 of the Disability Act 2005, the affected party may make a complaint in writing by themselves or through a person referred to in Section 9(2) of the Act. If this process is not successful, then the CAO falls under the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman and as such the Ombudsman may examine complaints from members of the public who believe that they have been unfairly treated by certain prescribed bodies. If a member of the public feels that the CAO are failing to comply with the accessibility provisions of the Act, then under Section 40 it is open to them to contact the Office of the Ombudsman if a direct complaint has not been resolved to their satisfaction. The Ombudsman provides an impartial, independent and free dispute resolution service.

The contact details for the Ombudsman are as follows:

Office of the Ombudsman

Address: 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2, D02 HE97

Phone: +353 1 639 5600

Email: info@ombudsman.ie