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For Oral Answer on : 08/10/2024
Question Number(s): 14 Question Reference(s): 40058/24
Department: Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education; Research; Innovation and Science the supports and engagements his Department has with the disability access route to education scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The Disability Access Route to Education, known as the DARE scheme, is operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) on behalf of the higher education institutions who set the policy criteria for the scheme.
Applications to the scheme are submitted to the Central Applications Office who coordinate the scheme for participating institutions.
All matters pertaining to admissions to higher education are a function of the higher education institutions themselves, as autonomous academic bodies. Therefore the operation, funding and management of the scheme does not fall under the remit of my Department.
I do however wish to acknowledge the valuable role the DARE scheme plays in enabling access to Higher Education for those with a disability. It is complementary to the goals of my Department’s National Access Plan, which aims to increase the proportion of new entrants to higher education with a disability to 16% by 2028.
The latest available figures, which cover the 2022/23 academic year, indicated that 13.8% of new entrants to higher education have a disability, compared with the baseline figure of 12.4% contained in the plan, which was launched in 2022.
The IUA and the Access Officers of each HEI are members of the Steering group established under the National Access Plan and this group provides an opportunity for valuable discussion on the priorities within the National Action Plan including disability matters.
