Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 January 2026
464. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to bridge the funding gap for disability organisations to support their members into further and higher education. [7345/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding of disability organisations does not fall within the remit of my Department and matters relating to funding should be referred to the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.
However, there are a number of initiatives across further and higher education which support students with a disability including the Fund for Students with a Disability (FSD) which I have increased in Budget 2026 by €3million.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a key focus for my Department across both further and higher education. Since 2022, over €5.8 million has been invested across higher education to support institutions in the rollout of UDL principles across their campuses. In Further Education and Training, ETBs will continue to increase their capacity to enact UDL and to make Reasonable Accommodations. In doing so they are working in partnership with SOLAS, ETBi and AHEAD, a non-profit organisation which supports learners to access and participate in tertiary education.
The Programme for Access To Higher education, PATH 4 Phase 2, has invested over €11 million in courses for people with intellectual disabilities and is currently running across 11 institutions with 193 students enrolled to date. In further education and training, there are also a range of specialist supports for students with disabilities in FET, such as, Specialist Training Provision.
Under the current National Access Plan 2022-2028, students with a disability, including those with an intellectual disability, are identified as a group who are underrepresented in higher education and are a key focus of the current plan. The most recent figures available show that new entrants with a disability in Higher Education, have increased to 14.7% up from 12.4% and, are on course to exceed the target of 16%.
