Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
1251. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the annual cost of the Speak Out Programme in third level institutions for each of the years from 2022 to 2025 to date in 2026; his views on whether the cost reflects its value as a reporting tool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31872/26]
View answer1252. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is of the view that the Speak Out data is accurate and reliable considering only 784 reports were made in the two-year period from 2022 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31873/26]
View answer1253. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether the Speak Out data is reflective of the prevalence of hate crime and discrimination on Irish third level campuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31874/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1251, 1252 and 1253 together.
The Speak Out Anonymous Reporting Tool was established by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland (PCHEI) and initially received €121,820 in funding for the period 2020–2022 from the Department’s allocation of additional funding for student mental health and wellbeing supports. There was no separate annual allocation in 2022, with costs covered under the earlier funding envelope.
In 2023–2024, €51,825 was provided to Dundalk Institute of Technology to support the continued operation of Speak Out and to facilitate an expression of interest process, following a Higher Education Authority (HEA)-commissioned independent evaluation of the tool in 2023. That evaluation recommended the establishment of a sustainable governance, funding and operational model, including a national office.
Following the conclusion of an HEA-led expression of interest process in 2024, Trinity College Dublin established the Speak Out National Office. Funding of €213,000 was provided in 2024 to support its establishment, and €284,000 per annum was allocated in 2025 in line with the approved national model. Funding in 2026 to date continues within this agreed annual framework.
The National Office supports the implementation of Speak Out across 17 higher education institutions, ensuring consistency in governance, reporting standards and trauma-informed institutional responses. The programme contributes directly to the implementation of the national policy framework Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions.
In relation to usage, in the two academic years from 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2024, 1,011 individuals made anonymous reports through Speak Out to 16 higher education institutions. The majority of reports were made by students.
Further details and evaluation reports of the Speak Out reporting tool are available at hea.ie/policy/gender/ending-sexual-violence-and-harassment-in-irish-higher-education-institutions/speak-out/.
The data captured through Speak Out is considered accurate and reliable in reflecting the experiences of those who chose to report via the tool, based on standardised reporting categories and oversight arrangements. However, the data should not be interpreted as a measure of prevalence of sexual violence, harassment, bullying, hate crime or discrimination in the higher education sector. As with similar anonymous reporting mechanisms internationally, reporting volumes are influenced by factors such as awareness, trust, and willingness to disclose.
Speak Out is one of several reporting and disclosure options available within higher education institutions. Its purpose is to facilitate disclosure, support those affected, provide appropriate signposting to supports, and inform institutional and sector-wide responses. The ongoing work of the National Speak Out Office reflects the shared commitment of higher education institutions to providing safe, respectful learning and working environments and to addressing sexual violence, harassment, bullying and related behaviours across the sector.
