Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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2706. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the ways in which his Department will ensure that student voices are included in policy making; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45245/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to thank Deputy McGettigan for this question, and for allowing me the opportunity to illustrate the many avenues of engagement that my department pursues to ensure that the voice of students and apprentices are captured and included in policy-making.

Overall, I believe that the student and apprentice voice is strongly represented in the policy-making processes of my department. I am always open to the ideas and input of those with first-hand experience of the systems for which I am responsible, across the tertiary education sector.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science carries out public consultation in the development of our policies, actions plans, and strategies to take into consideration the views of individual students, student unions, and learner advocacy bodies.

In 2025, the Department developed a Stakeholder Engagement Protocol, which provides a structured, principles-based framework for engaging with all stakeholders, including students and their representative organisations. The Protocol sets out clear processes for identifying stakeholders, tailoring engagement methods, capturing and analysing feedback, and maintaining communication so that stakeholders are informed of how their contributions influence policy.

This approach reflects the cross-government guidance set out in the Government of Ireland’s Policy Handbook and aligns with the Government’s Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-Making Action Plan 2024–2028, which extends to young people up to the age of 24 and includes the majority of students in further and higher education.

The Department has conducted direct engagements and focus group meetings to listen to the views of students. The Department also draws in information and data from events, reports, and qualitative studies. These are organised and published by its aegis bodies and external stakeholders that spotlight student voices on various issues.

Apprentices sit on the National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA) as full members and contribute to its advisory role. Apprentices have also been subject to national survey, most recently in 2024 and it is intended to continue to conduct such surveys on a regular basis.

USI, now AMLÉ (Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn), are represented on the National FHE Advisory Group on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to 2030. Youth engagement and a Youth Advisory Group is facilitated and supported to engage and input into the National ESD Forum.

USI/AMLÉ is also represented on the working group which is tasked with identifying the aims, features, and principles of a ‘Creative Campus’ concept under the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027. We will soon consult with individual HEI student unions and Aontas (which represents adult learners).