Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

446. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the Programme for Government to support access routes and inclusive education initiatives to learners with intellectual disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6436/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A key ambition is to ensure that supports and opportunities are provided for learning to all. I want the tertiary education system to develop and grow its supports for vulnerable learners, autistic students, learners with disabilities, under-represented groups and the most marginalised.

The new National Access Plan, a Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success 2022-2028 was developed in the context of Programme for Government (PfG) commitments and other social inclusion policy measures. The plan aligns with and builds on the wider ambitions of the PfG by providing accessible, affordable education to all citizens.

€5m was secured under Budget 2022 to support new pilot initiatives and enhance existing initiatives under the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Fund to address priority actions under the NAP, including new initiatives to support autistic students and those with an intellectual disability access third level education.

This inclusive attitude to learning is supported by a new funding stream that I announced in June last year, for a four-year strand known as PATH 4.

PATH 4 will be implemented on a phased basis as follows:

Phase 1 comprised a once off fund totalling €3 million for Universal Design allocated to higher education institutions in 2022 to develop inclusive practices on their campuses. This important development will support all students with disabilities including autistic students and will help to build on the existing but limited provision already available in Higher Education Institutions for students with intellectual disabilities. It will support student success for all students and learners in higher education and will be of particular benefit to students with special educational needs, including students with autism.

Phase 2 will involve a competitive three-year pathfinding pilot to support an enhancement of course provision for students with intellectual disabilities and to inform future policy considerations for students with intellectual disabilities.

This inclusive ethos is also found in the Further Education sector. Fostering Inclusion is one of the three core pillars around which the Further Education and Training Strategy (FET) 2020-2024 is built. The FET sector is committed to increasing levels of inclusion through the provision of high quality, more accessible and flexible education and training programmes and supports suited to the identified needs of individuals, including persons with Neurodivergence such as dyspraxia, with the aim of enabling every citizen to participate fully in society.

In order to support this goal, SOLAS, Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), and the 16 ETBs across the country have progressed the framework for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for the FET Sector. This approach aims to reduce obstacles to learning by taking into account the needs of learners of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Appling UDL Principles means offering multiple ways of engagement, representation, action and expression, providing necessary accommodations to remove obstacles to learning as well as providing, where required, one-to-one supports and assistive technologies to support differentiated learning.

My Department will continue to keep existing provision and initiatives under review; to develop a better understanding of what works best within the different models, how we can support different providers in working together and learning from each other, and examining what is scalable from institutional-level approaches.

The procurement of expertise to support the Department and HEA is planned to support the management of a structured engagement process (including engagement with learners themselves) to design an appropriate call for proposals for students with an intellectual disability in ways that facilitate appropriate evaluation.