Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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29. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures being taken by his Department to ensure ease of access to third level education for those with a disability and that the number of new entrants to higher education with a disability continues to increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56004/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Supporting the participation and success of learners with disabilities is a key priority of mine, my Department and for Government.

Good progress is being made as part of the National Access Plan (NAP) to increase new entrants to higher education institutions with a disability. The latest figures available to the Department show this figure has increased to 14.7% for the 2023/2024 academic year up from 12.4% at the start of the NAP and, on this trend, we are on target to reach 16% over the lifetime of the plan.

There are a range of existing supports and programmes for learners with disabilities.

In Budget 2026 I have increased the Fund for Students with Disabilities by €1 million for higher education and €2 million for further education and training supporting over 22,000 learners. Included in the additional funding for further education and training is the provision to cover transport costs for learners with intellectual disabilities. I have also provided €1m to support student wellbeing and mental health initiatives.

This investment ensures that every learner, regardless of background or ability, can participate fully in education and training, and forms part of our wider commitment to building a more inclusive and accessible education system. Because opportunity must be open to all, not just to some.

The Programme for Access to Higher Education, or PATH 4 funding stream under the National Access Plan supports my Department's goals of enabling all learners with disabilities avail of higher education.

Since 2022, Phase 1 funding of €5.8 million was provided in 2022 for a range of projects to improve Universal Design for Learning in higher education institutions.

PATH 4 Phase 2 is the funding programme which has been made available by the Department for the provision of courses for Students with Intellectual Disabilities in HEIs. I am very pleased to report to the House that 195 students are currently enrolled in 11 HEIs across a wide geographic spread.

I recently approved funding to hire an expert to develop a common evaluation instrument for PATH 4 Phase 2. The evaluation of the PATH 4 Phase 2 pathfinding programme presents an invaluable opportunity to gather aggregated data at the national level on the outcomes and lessons emerging from the initiative. And also to build a robust evidence-base to inform and guide future policy development.

My Department has also initiated the Disabilities Demonstration Project aimed at identifying and developing the most effective supports for students with disabilities across the tertiary education system. The project will underpin the development of a comprehensive policy framework focused on delivering a more flexible, responsive, and tailored model of support to better meet the diverse needs of these students.