Written answers

Thursday, 27 October 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Further and Higher Education

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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256. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the additional 50 bursaries of €5,000 per student for the most disadvantaged students including those with a disability, mature students, lone parents, and further education award holders announced in July; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53943/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to provide the Deputy with an update on what I consider a very important funding stream for my Department to develop and grow its supports for vulnerable learners, learners with disabilities, under-represented groups and the most marginalised. I have allocated funding for an additional 50 PATH 2 1916 Bursaries. The bursaries provide extra support to students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to successfully participate in higher education, including at postgraduate level.

The 50 additional bursaries are effective for the 2022/2023 academic year.

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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257. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the funding made available in July to allow those on certain existing scholarships retain the funding for graduate entry medicine; the number of students being supported in the current academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53944/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In July 2022, I announced that an additional 50 1916 bursaries of €5000 per student would be made available for the most socio-economically disadvantaged students as identified in the National Access Plan including those with a disability, mature students, lone parents, and further education award holders. In addition, changes were introduced to the 2022/2023 PATH 2 1916 Bursary scheme to allow those on existing bursaries to continue their bursaries to pursue a graduate entry medicine course.

Data on the number of students choosing to continue their bursaries has not yet been reported to the Department. The HEA will be seeking this information in 2023.

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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258. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the funding made available in July to support Traveller and Roma participation in higher education through a three-year pilot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53945/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The deputy will be aware that the fourth National Access Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (NAP) (2022 – 2028) was launched in August. It identifies several priority groups that are currently under-represented in higher education, including Irish Travellers and the Roma community. The new NAP sets ambitious targets for Traveller participation in Higher Education and for the first time, students from the Roma community have also been included as a key priority group.

To make a meaningful difference, and following on from the positive feedback on the Dormant Accounts Fund, funding of €450,000 per year for three years was approved by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to support HEIs to build long term relationships in their communities with the Traveller and Roma communities, by putting in place an infrastructure to support access, participation and success for students from the Traveller and Roma communities.

We are also in early discussions to consider the appointment of a PATH co-ordinator, for a three-year pilot basis, in the Further Education and Training (FET) sector to support Further Education – Higher Education transitions for priority groups with a particular focus on students from the Traveller and Roma communities.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) and my Department held a consultation event remotely on PATH 5 – Traveller and Roma Students in Higher Education on October 10th, 2022.

The purpose of the consultation event was to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share best practice, their experience of using the Dormant Accounts Fund to support Traveller and Roma students, and how these learnings can inform the principles and objectives of the new PATH 5.

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