Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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967. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures being taken to address the significant decrease in FET learners from underrepresented backgrounds from 23,763 in 2023 to 19,474 in 2024; the reason there was a slight increase of 19,500 in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32536/25]

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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My Department is firmly committed to ensuring equitable access for all learners to Further Education and Training (FET), particularly for those from underrepresented backgrounds. The 2020–2024 FET Strategy placed ‘Fostering Inclusion’ as one of its three core pillars, identifying under-represented cohorts to receive additional support to engage in FET. This commitment will continue under the 2025–2029 FET Strategy, currently being finalised by SOLAS, with a renewed focus on inclusion and learner diversity.

SOLAS signed multi-annual Strategic Performance Agreements (SPAs) with the 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to advance the FET strategy nationally and regionally. Covering 2022–2024, these agreements set 12 national system targets aligned with the strategy’s three pillars. One such target under the Fostering Inclusion pillar was ‘Widening Participation.’ It’s important to clarify that the figures mentioned in the Deputy’s question refer to these target measures -not actual enrolment data.

SOLAS have advised my officials that the ETBs exceeded their targets for Widening Participation over the lifetime of the agreements as follows:

I'm confident the Deputy will agree that SOLAS and the ETBs are making strong progress in supporting learners from under-represented groups.