Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1029. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider establishing an office of national student ombudsman to deal with complaints about and investigations into student safety at universities, including gender-based violence, and procedures to address misconduct and academic staffing levels, similar to that which exists in Australia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39337/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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In April 2019 the Government published 'Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions', which is the Framework for Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in HEIs. The Framework has 15 outcomes which fall under four thematic areas: Institutional Culture, Institutional Processes, Institutional Policies and Targeted Initiatives. As autonomous institutions, HEIs have policies and procedures in place to address student complaints. The Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment Framework outcomes require that HEI policies relating to sexual violence and harassment include guidelines for addressing student complaints, including transparency for all involved.

My Department has recently funded a National Speak Out Office which has been established in Trinity College. Speak Out is an Online Anonymous Reporting Tool for incidents of Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination, Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Assault, which is being led by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI).

16 HEIs implement the Speak Out anonymous reporting tool which allows students, staff and visitors to anonymously report experiences of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, discrimination, hate crime, coercive behaviour/control, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. The Speak Out Tool also helps direct those speaking out to find supports relevant to their experiences. 1 HEI implements another anonymous reporting tool.

It is important to also highlight the 16 Sexual Violence and Harassment Prevention and Response Manager posts which have been established and recruited into higher education institutions. These posts will further enhance the capabilities of our higher education institutes to support the Government’s zero tolerance approach to all forms of sexual violence and harassment.