Education Schemes Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-25 ============================================================ Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel The Minister of State is very welcome. I am delighted, as this is relevant to both of us in our area. I will give some background to Project WAVE, which stands for Working towards Academic and Vocational Equity. It is a project which everyone associated with Atlantic Technological University, ATU, is very proud of. It gives students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to attend college. The students attending Project WAVE recently visited me here in Leinster House and met several Senators and TDs. These students defy all expectations that many people hold regarding people with what would be better described as intellectual differences, rather than intellectual disabilities. The students may have Down's syndrome, autism or other forms of neurodivergence. In the course they study, core topics include ICT, personal development, learning skills and employability, as well as other elective modules, depending on the campus they are based in. For example, in Donegal, the focus is on hospitality. In Mayo, it could be business and early childhood education and care. In Sligo, we have students studying early childhood care, engineering and creative and visual arts programmes. The range of interests, personalities and talents among the Project WAVE students is as varied and diverse as that of the general student population. Project WAVE is a two-year project, rapidly approaching the end of its second year. After completing WAVE, many of the participants hope to go onto further study or enter the world of work. All the research for this Commencement matter was carried out by Kevin, who is a Project WAVE student currently doing work experience in my office. Since starting Project WAVE, he has developed into an advocate for the rights of students with disabilities. Kevin has agreed to my sharing his learning story here today: I was 20-years-old and a student at another college when I first heard about Project WAVE in June 2024. My mum told me that she thought it would be a great opportunity and would give me a better life. I thought about it and I decided I would go for it. Before I was accepted, I had to do an interview. I told them how I wanted to come to ATU and learn new stuff and I would be meeting new people. The first day I arrived in September 2024, there were nine other students starting. None of us knew each other and I was so nervous. I was thinking of dropping out but decided to stick at it because I knew that someone else would take the chance and lots of other people who interviewed did not have the opportunity, and Project WAVE has changed my life. I am very happy now. Two years ago, I was in a bad place with sensory issues and the staff at the college I was attending did not really understand, but the staff at Project WAVE understand my sensory issues and are very nice to me and I could not hope for better. My goals are to do an access course at ATU or do a PLC course in Ballinode College, and to qualify to get a job in Yeats Library or the ATU or another university, maybe in St. Angela's. I have learned a lot of practical skills relating to the appropriate use of technology, flexibility and time use skills. The reason I tabled this matter is Project WAVE is funded under a three-year pilot programme, designed at enhancing course provision for students with intellectual disabilities. Just as it is in Kevin's story, the enthusiasm shown among the staff, students and families demonstrates Project WAVE is money more than well-spent. It was so wonderful to welcome them here; we had such a wonderful day. Education experiences are not transitory or temporary. They pay dividends for years, especially in the lives of people who are denied the kinds of opportunities open to most of us. Can the Minister of State confirm whether funding will be made available for the next three-year period and on an ongoing basis, so that students like Kevin, who should have the opportunities open to every other young person, have them? --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-25/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:41+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-25