Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1267. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that he is taking to ensure that there are sufficient places in third-level education given points inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30445/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am very aware of the pressure felt by students applying to enter higher education and I am taking action to relieve these pressures.

While Leaving Certificate grades don’t impact the number of higher education places in and of themselves, high grades drive up CAO points requirements and I know that this can make students feel under pressure.

This year’s CAO applications are slightly lower than last year’s, although they remain high overall. In order to ensure that these applicants are given every opportunity to follow an educational path that works for them I am seeking both to create additional college places in areas of identified skills need, and to broaden the national conversation on third level options.

I requested that my officials engage with the higher education sector on the creation of additional places in key areas as identified by our skills architecture. These engagements are at an advanced stage, and we hope to create places in areas of acute skills need such as healthcare, construction and green skills.

However increasing places is only one part of the answer. In tandem with this, it is vital that all learners have access to the right courses for them, across the spectrum of provision.

There is additional capacity being created in apprenticeships, with new programmes starting each year. 2021 saw our highest number of new apprenticeship registrations yet. There are also a wide range of other excellent further education and training options available to learners.

Information on the options available in further education, higher education and apprenticeship are all available on the CAO website at cao.ie/options, and I encourage anyone who is looking to take the next step in their educational journey to have a look and consider all the possibilities open to them.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that he is taking to ensure that students are safe and protected from assault in third-level institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30446/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question on this important matter. Our higher education institutions have a duty of care to their students and staff, and a responsibility to foster a campus culture that is clear in the condemnation of unwanted and unacceptable behaviours, which act as barriers to their safety and their active participation in college life.

Significant progress has been made regarding the Framework for Consent in Higher Education, since it was first launched in 2019. The Framework aims to ensure the creation of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive. As part of monitoring requirements moving forward, the HEA requires that institutions, in respect of both staff and students, report progress annually on implementation of the Framework for Consent.

My Department has provided support for a number of consent awareness raising and training initiatives in the HEIs, including the:

- NUIG Active Consent Programme

- UCC Bystander Training

- Speak Out report and support online platform

- The ESHTE Toolkit and It Stops Now Campaign led by the NWC in conjunction with USI.

My Department is also partnering with the Department of Justice and the NUIG Active Consent programme to support the development of an online hub that will provide, for the first time, an integrated, publicly available resource on sexual consent awareness and learning, which will be an important resource for our further and higher education institutions and the wider community.

My Department has also provided a number of actions for inclusion in the Third Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy which my colleague Minister McEntee will be publishing shortly.

The creation of an institutional campus culture in each of our higher education institutions which is safe, respectful and supportive, is a key priority for me. I will continue to lead the way on institutional change, championing the changes required to achieve a cultural norm where bullying and sexual harassment are not tolerated.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps that he is taking to ensure that third-level students have access to adequate mental health supports in their-third level institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30447/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Over the past two years, an additional €6 million has been provided to higher education institutions to support student mental health and wellbeing.

HEIs were requested to allocate these additional funds towards student-facing services such as:

- Recruitment of additional Student Counsellors;

- Recruitment of additional Assistant Psychologists;

- Head of service posts for those HEIs employing more than 2 FTEs;

- Training of HEI staff to enable them to support and refer students to appropriate services;

- Raising awareness among students of mental health and wellbeing services available, including through student outreach activities;

- Implementation of the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework;

- Implementation of the Framework for Consent in HEIs; Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions.

HEIs were advised that the funding allocations were additional and intended to enhance rather than displace existing provision of student supports in the areas of mental health and wellbeing. HEIs were also advised to make provision for the sustainability of any supports funded under this allocation.

The HEA has advised my department that the impacts of the funding has led to:

- increased capacity for students to avail of mental health services, especially in the provision of one-to-one sessions, and also, access to psychologists and in some institutions, to psychiatrists;

- additional and significant provisions offered, including webinars, group sessions, online forums and the development of regular newsletters and e-zines, as well as increased social media presence;

- innovative outreach events and workshops in the areas of consent, suicide prevention and addictive behaviours;

- HEIs developing systems and structures for improving services and other activities. For example, in larger institutions, case management and triaging processes have been implemented;

- HEI staff being able to avail of training sessions on mental health, thereby, raising the profile internally within HEIs of what services and supports are available for students.

A number of National Projects have also been implemented with funding provided for Mental Health and Wellbeing. These have produced dedicated tools, focused research and professional collaboration, which will support staff, augment policy-making and the effective targeting of resources across the sector to achieve the high standards set by the respective student well-being, consent and suicide prevention frameworks.

One such project is the 'Speak Out reporting tool' which was created as part of the implementation of the Framework for Consent, which I launched on 19 October 2021. The tool allows HEIs to understand staff and student experiences of sexual harassment and violence and assists institutions, the HEA and my department in making evidence-based policy decisions in this area. Most importantly, it raises awareness of the supports available to students and staff and encourages them to seek help if they need it.

In late 2020, I launched the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework. This Framework is Ireland’s first ever national approach to address student mental health and suicide prevention. It recognises the many challenges students face, and sets out ways in which institutions can support them and respond through working proactively. The Framework provides clear guidance to higher education institutions regarding implementation of good practices in responding to student mental health difficulties.