Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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214. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of staff allocated to access or disabilities offices to support students with disabilities in each of the further and higher education providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23708/22]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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215. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the approximate cost of employing one dedicated full-time access or disability support staff member in each of the further and higher education providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23709/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together.

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question in relation to dedicated full-time access or disability support staff in further and higher education providers.

As part of their core grant funding which is allocated on a block grant basis from the HEA, HEIs are expected to put in place an access infrastructure to support equity of access for underrepresented groups, including students with disabilities (an extra weighting is given for students from target groups in the HEA funding allocation model). 

Access infrastructure refers to pre-entry and post-entry student services which includes activities such as managing the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) and the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). 

However, the HEA does not dictate the numbers of staff or staff grades that each institution assigns to these activities.  The organisation and management of the access infrastructure is a matter for each HEI. Therefore, the level of detail by institution requested by the Deputy is not readily available.

Further Education and Training (FET) does not have disability or access offices. 

My officials are in the process of collating details regarding "the breakdown of staff allocated to access or disabilities offices to support students with disabilities in each of the further and higher education providers". When finalised, this information will be forwarded to the Deputy.