Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase participation in third level education among members of the Travelling community. [27021/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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An inclusive higher education system is a national and European priority. Supporting Inclusion is one of the six strategic goals set out in my Department’s Statement of Strategy.

The National Access Plan (NAP) which was launched in 2022 aims to support inclusion and diversity in our student body, address the wider struggles and challenges for students, and deliver sustainable progress. The plan identifies a number of priority groups who are underrepresented in Higher Education including members of the Traveller & Roma Communities.

Targets set in the NAP for students from the Traveller community

The review of progress undertaken during preparation of the NAP showed that Traveller participation numbers in higher education have remained consistently low and below expectations. The 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.

Since the start of the plan the number of Travellers students enrolling has increased from 33 in 2021 to 36 in 2022/23.

The target set in the NAP is for 150 new entrants each year from the Traveller community and this will be reviewed at the midterm point in the NAP.

Programme for Access To Higher Education (PATH) 5 - Traveller and Roma Students in Higher Education

PATH 5 provides €1.35m fund over three years, i.e., €450,000 each year for the next three years.

This is a three-year pilot to support access, participation and success for students from the Traveller and Roma communities.

The key objectives of the fund are:

• To increase the participation and progression of the Traveller and Roma communities in Higher Education and, to support the achievement of National Access Plan 2022-2028 targets.
• To further develop community-based partnerships with the Traveller Community.
• To build community partnerships with the Roma community and Roma organisations, recognising that further work is required to develop relationships and to build cultural awareness of their needs in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

In addition, Travellers are included in PATH 1(Initial Teacher Education) and PATH 3 (Building of community links and relationships), along with PATH 2 – 1916 Bursaries that for which travellers are eligible.

My Department also announced increased funding PATH 4 Phase 1 in February 2024 for Anti Racism Measures across the HEIs and we are currently liaising with representatives from stakeholder groups on the disbursement of these funds.

At Further Education and Training (FET) level, learners are diverse, coming to FET from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, language and cultural groups, gender identities, family status, and ability profiles. The FET Sector plays an important role in providing opportunities and pathways for individuals from priority groups who may be under-represented in the education sector and to help take learners to where they want to go.

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 with the aim of enabling every citizen to participate fully in society.

SOLAS, working closely with my Department, has established multi-annual strategic performance agreements with the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs). ETBs are measured on their performance across 12 National targets including ‘Widening Participation’ of marginalised groups in their provision. The specific target groups are:

• Travellers;
• Roma;
• Persons with a Disability;
• Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

A distinguishable feature of enrolments in FET programme by members of the Travelling Community is the concentration among Adult Literacy, Community Education and Youthreach courses. Many programmes in these areas encourage and promote engagement by members of the Travelling Community through incorporation of Traveller culture in oral storytelling initiatives, family literacy, health and nutrition classes and arts and crafts classes amongst others. A feature of many Equality, Diversity and Inclusion events held in ETBs nationally are themed events which raise awareness and celebrate Traveller culture which aids in further enhancing a welcoming learning space for learners from the Travelling community. In addition, the Adult Guidance Service offers advice, guidance and information on education, training and careers to adult learners taking part in FET programmes with many ETBs offering outreach sessions to promote learner pathways for members of the Travelling community, amongst the larger learner population, engaged in ETB programmes.

In 2023, SOLAS allocated €104,000 to Pavee Point to widen the participation of Travellers and Roma in FET, through supporting Traveller and Roma organisations and initiatives and other groups involved in this work.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.