Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1908. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) concerning ETB personal assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11324/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) for the higher education sector, which is administered by the HEA on behalf of my Department, provides higher education institutions (HEIs) with support towards the costs related to ensuring students with disabilities have the necessary assistance and equipment to enable them to access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study. The FSD is designed to complement, rather than substitute for, the core system.

FSD funding is provided as a block grant to HEIs each year based on information provided to the HEA by HEIs. It is the HEIs that determine the specific supports and accommodations, to be provided to FSD eligible students on the basis of needs assessments conducted in consultation with students.

As autonomous institutions, HEIs are responsible for the allocation of FSD resource at local level, including any contractual arrangements put in place for staff and service-providers to best support the identified needs of students. Any such contractual arrangements are put in place by the HEI and as previously advised there is no centralised PA grade in the HE sector.

HEIs in receipt of FSD funding report comprehensive data to the HEA on an annual basis. This includes numbers of students supported, information on the nature of the disabilities experienced by supported students and the nature of the supports provided, in addition to the costs of those supports. In 2024, approximately 17,256 students were supported through the FSD. The number of students benefiting from FSD and their weighted needs is submitted to DFHERIS annually and is used to inform policy and resource allocation.

All HEIs in receipt of FSD funding must comply with the FSD Guidelines, which provide clear parameters for the use of the funding at local level by HEIs.