Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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542. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of legal cases that related to staff HR issues that are currently ongoing in each of the Irish universities; the number of these that have been ongoing for five years or longer; and the number of these cases that relate to issues with female university staff. [14637/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, universities are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act, 1997 and, as such, are responsible for HR matters, including the management of any legal cases arising.

As Minister, I rightly have no direct role in that regard, and, accordingly, my Department does not collect nor have access to the data requested by the Deputy.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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543. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that funding under the mitigation against educational disadvantage fund will be made available this year for an important social project (details supplied); if he accepts that this project provides a valuable sports outlet and training for leaders and instructors to be self-sustaining over a period of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14702/23]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The Reach Fund, originally named the Mitigating Against Educational Disadvantage Fund, was introduced in 2020 to support the most disadvantaged learners throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fund has continued to focus on the participation of disadvantaged learners in education, particularly those who are undertaking literacy and skills programmes and on building the digital infrastructure of community education providers to increase the capacity to deliver online learning. Each year the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) invite Community Education providers to apply for funding across several categories including learner assistance, green projects, support for refugee groups and digital supports. SOLAS has allocated over €17m to the ETBs under the REACH fund during 2020-2022. The 2023 Reach Funding guidelines have been issued to the ETBs and calls for applications for support have commenced. SOLAS will advise the ETBs of their 2023 REACH allocations shortly. The ETBs will award funding based on the scheme criteria and the level of demand for support in each ETB area.