2025-12-11

254. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the progress of the review of personal assistance services funded from the fund for students with disabilities across tertiary education settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67773/25]

The Minister met personal assistants from the likes of Drogheda Institute of Further Education, DIFE, the Ó Fiaich Institute of Further Education and Cavan Institute who do huge work in relation to those with disabilities. Fórsa has a pay claim in with the WRC at the moment. Some issues were resolved but I think the biggest issue was the fact that there was the expectation of a review. We know there was going to be a review specifically of PA services but I think it became subsumed into a wider review of disability services. I ask for an update in that regard.

I am familiar with the issue. The Deputy has engaged with me on it on a number of occasions. He and I met a group of personal assistants during the summer. Supporting learners with disabilities is a core priority for my Department. In the budget just gone I was pleased to be able to invest a further €3 million in support for the fund for students with disabilities as well as an additional €1 million for students with mental health challenges. That was along with many other targeted interventions to help address the cost of college and to support students in the different situations they face. Last year, my Department hosted a national disability symposium in Dublin, bringing together students, families, educators, disabled persons' organisations and other stakeholders to share their experiences and consider further actions that would be appropriate. Following that engagement, the Department commenced a project focused on better supporting students with disabilities. This project is to examine transitions into further and higher education, to map out the supports and services available to students with disabilities within the further and higher education systems and to develop new approaches to supporting students as they move into employment following college. The latter is perhaps a gap at the moment. That transition to the workforce is essential. I have met many groups both in my constituency and around the country, and the point is often made to me that, even with the additional supports and pathways through education, the transition to the workforce can be challenging. There is an intention to encompass further supports for people to make that transition. That is very much on my mind and the Department's mind as we role out this plan further. A key element is to map out and identify the supports required and those that are available for students with disabilities across the education sector. This is the first step to ensure the right resources as regards that mapping exercise to see what is needed, what is there and what is missing. That is a sort of gap analysis that will help to map out where to go to, the next stage. That work is expected to commence in 2026, and it is a very important piece of work.

It is a vital piece of work. It will commence in 2026. I ask the Minister to give me a rough outline as to what he thinks this deadline is. I do not think anybody here would dispute that there has been a need to do this for a long time in relation to further and higher education and to find out how we best suit those with disabilities and ensure we can keep them within the educational process. I am obviously disappointed - I have told the Minister this before - that the review in relation to personal assistants had not happened previously. That would have facilitated the WRC to look at the contracts and the other issues for the workers. They got a slight pay increase but they need to be on a similar rate, whether it is to an SNA or some other educator, and then there are those rights. They do not have a 52-week contract. At this point they will be looking at going back on a social welfare payment, with all the difficulties that occur in relation to this. We really have to facilitate them around that. I ask the Minister to come back with a timeline and a means by which we deal with this.

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.

I ask the Minister to expand on that and this review in relation to PA services. I think the biggest issue, as I said previously, was that the position was that the role of the PAs in supporting disabled students was to be considered as part of an interdepartmental review and no progress could be made until the review had concluded. They were unable to state with any certainty when the review would commence and finish. At this point it could be almost both those projects, but it is a timeline as to when that is dealt with in that we could support those people who are doing vital work in facilitating those with disabilities in the PLC set-up. Again, we need to look at the third level sector across the board. That is vital. I ask the Minister to expand on the project, the review and then the timelines for completion.

I will pick up on the WRC claim because the Deputy mentioned that as an item of interest. I think the Deputy is well familiar with it, but the position is that ETBs employ staff in some cases to deliver PA services, and the contractual relationship is between the employee and the ETB.

I understand that.

Personal assistants are employed usually under fixed-term contracts and, therefore, do not get paid outside of term time, nor do the public servants under section 19 of the ETB Act. In early 2024 my officials embarked on a review of the hourly rate of pay of personal assistants employed by ETBs. That followed discussions between a representative group of personal assistants and one of my predecessors. I think the Deputy may have been involved in that at the time.

I was.

Subsequent to that, ministerial approval issued to SOLAS to increase the hourly rate of pay by 42%, which is very positive and I am sure was very welcome, bringing the rate up from nearly €15 per hour to €21 per hour, with 8% holiday pay included as well. I know there are other claims before the WRC subsequent to that, but I think it is fair to say that significant progress has been made, notwithstanding those other claims. I do not want to get into commentary on claims that remain before the WRC.