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Minister Patrick O鈥橠onovan鈥檚 First Visit to UCC

26 Aug 2024

The new Minister for Further and Higher Education, Patrick O鈥橠onovan, met students with disabilities on his first visit to UCC on Monday 26^th August 2024. The focus of the visit was a roundtable discussion on ways of supporting transitions into and out of university for students with disabilities.

The event opened with a presentation by a group of students/graduates with intellectual disabilities from the id+ Project, which is sponsored by UCC鈥檚 Deputy President and Registrar Prof. Stephen Byrne. This was followed by a lively discussion. The Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by students with disabilities transitioning from post-primary school into third-level education, and the different kind of supports required in this new environment. He also recognised the 鈥渃liff edge鈥� facing many students with disabilities leaving college, and the need to increase job opportunities in both public and private sectors, by building disability confidence amongst employers.

Two students with physical disabilities then shared their experiences of navigating college life with the support of Access UCC, both in Cork and abroad on Erasmus, as well as on industry placement. The Minister rounded off the event by commending UCC on its work in supporting students with disabilities, and suggested a national dialogue with An Taoiseach Simon Harris be held in the Autumn in UCC.