From Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris has today launched a new implementation plan to address issues regarding sexual violence and harassment in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The new Implementation Plan which covers the 2022 to 2024 period, builds upon and complements the wide range of initiatives currently in place to support a zero tolerance approach to issues of sexual violence and harassment in our HEIs.
In launching the new implementation plan, the Minister outlined details of an additional €1.5 million of supports secured in Budget 2023.
The new funding will support the appointment of Sexual Violence and Harassment (SVH) Prevention and Response Managers in our HEIs.
These new posts will further enhance the implementation of measures aimed at eradicating issues of sexual violence and harassment in our HEIs.
Speaking today, the Minister said:
“I have been very clear that the tertiary education and training sector must lead the way in changing cultures, behaviours and practices across society to ensure that sexual violence and harassment are not tolerated. There is a particular responsibility on those charged with educating the next generation in ensuring that their students and learners are equipped to lead the change more widely across society.
“The additional funding is essential to ensuring we have the right people driving these changes. The €1.5 million will allow us to appoint Sexual Violence and Harassment (SVH) Prevention and Response Managers in our HEIs and lead on the important changes we are making.”
The implementation plan was developed in close consultation with the HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs. It represents a comprehensive and ambitious response to the recommendations contained in the survey reports. The 19 actions in the implementation plan will be delivered between 2022 and 2024.
Among the recommendations are the potential to embed educational programmes in the curriculum and undertaking a study following the victim’s journey from disclosure to outcome.
The minister said:
"To manage the implementation of institutional consent programmes and to engage appropriately with internal and external stakeholders, we need to resource our institutions. This new funding will further enhance the capabilities of our higher education institutes to support the government’s zero tolerance approach to all forms of sexual violence and harassment.
“I want to thank Dr Ross Woods and Tim Conlon and the leadership of the HEA for driving this change.”
CEO of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Dr Alan Wall, said:
“Not only will the delivery of the implementation plan to end sexual violence and sexual harassment in HEIs support the achievement of our vision of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive, it will contribute towards a culture shift in higher education that has the potential to catalyse transformative change in our wider society.”
In April 2019, the Framework for Consent in HEIs; 'Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions' was launched. This Framework aims to ensure the creation of an institutional campus culture which is safe, respectful and supportive.
In August 2020, the Minister wrote to HEI presidents indicating his intention that national surveys of student and staff experiences of sexual harassment and violence would be developed and implemented, to create a robust evidence base for further policy on these issues. The HEA established an expert Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs in January 2021 to support this work and worked with the group to develop standardised national surveys to monitor student and staff experiences of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The surveys were conducted in April and May 2021, with the survey link being sent to some 245,000 students and some 30,000 staff members in higher education. A total of 11,417 responses were analysed (7,901 students and 3,516 staff) and inform the findings. The response rate to the staff survey was around 11.7% and to the student survey around 3.2%.
The minister launched the two survey reports on 27 January last. Following the publication of the survey reports, HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish HEIs commenced the process of reviewing the reports and have developed an implementation plan to give effect to the findings in the two survey reports.
The delivery of the actions in the new implementation plan are intended to build on and complement the broad range of initiatives ongoing across the sector towards the outcomes set out in the national policy framework published in 2019; ‘Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions’, (often referred to as the ‘Framework for Consent’), and accompanying institutional action plans. The HEA is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the framework, and HEIs submit reports on progress to the HEA on an annual basis.
The HEA Advisory Group on Ending Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in HEIs will maintain oversight of progress towards the delivery of the actions outlined in this new implementation plan, in close collaboration with the HEA. The group will meet on a regular basis to monitor implementation, and a full review of progress will be carried out after one year.
| Service | Phone | Web |
| Free 24/7 Support in a Crisis | Text ‘HELLO’ to 50808 | text50808.ie |
| Samaritans | National helpline – 116 123 | samaritans.org |
| Dublin Rape Crisis Centre | Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s 24-hour helpline – 1800 77 8888 | drcc.ie |
| Your local rape crisis centre or network | rapecrisishelp.ie | |
| HSE | hse.ie | |
| Sexual assault treatment units | hse.ie | |
| Women’s Aid | 24-hour helpline – 1800 341 900 | womensaid.ie |
| Men’s Aid | National confidential helpline – 01 554 3811 | mensaid.ie |
| My local Garda | 999 | garda.ie |
| HSE My Options | Freephone – 1800 828 010 | hse.ie |
| LGBT Ireland | National helpline – 1890 929 539 | lgbt.ie |