Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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426. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure continued access to third-level for all students seeking to avail of third-level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13091/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Equity of Access to Higher Education continues to be a national priority for the Government and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Programme for Government reflects the importance of supporting learners at risk of education disadvantage and learners with special education needs in higher education.

My Department has taken a range of intitatives to ensure there is increased access to all third level. This includes: - Abolishing the €200 fee for PLC courses; - Changes to reckobable income limits and grants rates under the Student Grant Scheme for the first time in a decade; - Increasing the visibility of further education and training options to school leavers; - Increasing the Student Assistance Fund to help students who may be experiencing hardship; - The development of a new National Access Plan removing specific barriers to people accessing third level which is at advanced stageof preparation;  -  strategic initiatives to support students with disabilities; - Ringfenced funding to increase participation in third level for the Travelling Community; - And enhancements for students in the international protection process under the student support scheme. My Department will continue to keep existing provision and initiatives under review. We want to develop a better understanding of what works best within the different models, and to look at how we can assist people to access and progress through higher and further education and training. Thus ensuring that we grow prosperity across communities and build social cohesion, while also recognising the different needs of learners and enabling each and every one of them to develop to their full potential.