Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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526. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the pay and conditions of personal assistants working in further education colleges; the starting salary for personal assistants; if they are on full-time, permanent contracts; if they need to access social welfare during the holidays; the steps that he is taking to improve the pay and conditions of personal assistants who work in further education colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26475/22]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) provides funding to higher and further education institutions for the delivery of key services and supports for students with disabilities. It aims to support the personal, educational and professional development of the participating students. While historically administered by the Higher Education Authority, responsibility for the Fund in the further education and training sector transferred to SOLAS during 2020. SOLAS provides FSD funding to the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) who manage the funding allocations to PLC further education providers for services and accommodations required to support students with disabilities. Funding can be used to provide a range of supports and accommodations including non-medical helpers such as personal assistants and notetakers.

Need assessments determine the supports and accommodations requested for students and the individual ETB/ further education college is responsible for decisions on the most appropriate support to meet the needs of the student, in accordance with the guidelines issued by SOLAS.  

As noted in the SOLAS Guidelines, where an ETB or further education college employs personnel to deliver supports to individual students, responsibility for the terms of employment rests with the individual ETB/ further education college.