Third Level Education
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-11
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James Lawless (FF), Kildare North

A couple of items arise there. I know personal assistance for students with disabilities is an area of interest the Deputy has raised here a number of times. National policy on personal assistance is being reviewed by the HSE-led personal assistance review group. My Department is not leading that particular aspect of the review. We are very much engaged with it and remain committed to ensuring that students with disabilities can have full access and participation in further and higher education. It is separate from the demonstration project. It is a separate project also looking at how personal assistance can be best utilised within the system. Personal supports are primarily facilitated through the fund for students with disabilities, which is administered by the Higher Education Authority. I have increased that by 10% this year with the additional €3 million funding I mentioned. Any recommendations that come from that review group that are pertinent to my Department will of course then be actioned.
It is also worth noting that personal assistants provide logistical support to learners with disabilities on PLC courses. As of February of this year, there were approximately 104 PAs employed at the ETBs providing those services.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-11