1214. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare would qualify for a HEAR grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60325/26]

The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) and HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) are operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) on behalf of the higher education institutions who set the policy criteria for the schemes. Further information on IUA is available here: www.iua.ie.

Admissions under the schemes are regulated by the higher education institutions themselves. Each institution determines its own admissions policy in relation to the schemes, the number of places they reserve and the allocation of those places.

Applications to the schemes are submitted to the Central Applications Office (CAO) who coordinate the schemes for participating institutions.

Therefore, it does not come under this or any Government Department's remit, and neither I nor my officials can intervene in individual cases.

In a recent briefing held in Government buildings on the HEAR and DARE schemes, representatives of the IUA advised that the most effective and timely way for students to obtain information regarding the HEAR and DARE schemes is to contact the Access Office of the institution to which they are applying.

I would advise the student to contact the Access Office at the higher education institution they are hoping to attend for information on options that may be available to them under the schemes.

Details on the schemes and participating Institutions can be found at: accesscollege.ie/.