TU Dublin Joins National Briefing on DARE and HEAR Access Schemes at Leinster House
Representatives from across Ireland’s technological university sector joined colleagues from Irish Universities Association institutions at Leinster House yesterday to brief TDs and Senators on the impact and importance of the DARE and HEAR access schemes.
Hosted at the invitation of Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, the event brought together higher education access leaders, including TU Dublin’s Bob Ó Murchú, to help build awareness and understanding of how the schemes support students across Ireland in accessing higher education.
The briefing provided members of the Oireachtas with an overview of how the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) and the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) operate, alongside planned future developments and the broader opportunities and challenges facing equitable access to higher education nationally. A key focus of the discussion was on the practical steps TDs and Senators can take to support constituents ahead of DARE and HEAR application outcomes, which are due to issue in late June.
DARE and HEAR form an important part of Ireland’s national strategy to widen participation in higher education, supporting students whose educational attainment may have been affected by disability or socio-economic disadvantage. Claire McGee, CEO of the Technological Universities Association, highlighted the unique role of the technological university sector as “Universities of Opportunity”, with 29 campuses located across the country, helping to create pathways into higher education for students from a wide range of backgrounds.
The session also reinforced the higher education sector’s ongoing commitment to student success, ensuring that students with the ability and ambition to succeed in higher education are supported not only in accessing college but in thriving throughout their university experience.