09:30 Welcome and Introduction

Dara Ryder is Chief Executive Officer of AHEAD, having previously managed AHEAD’s digital presence and developed a suite of online CPD programmes relating to inclusive practice in his role as Digital Media and eLearning Manager there.

After graduating from Queens University in 2005, Dara joined Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education as a lecturer, where he became interested in inclusive education when working first-hand with students with disabilities in his classroom.  When the opportunity arose in 2008, he joined AHEAD where he has been working ever since on creating inclusive environments in education and employment for people with disabilities.

Dr Fiona Maloney is the Director of the National Tertiary Office which was established with the goal of creating a more unified tertiary education system and is part of a wider reform agenda aimed at ensuring that Ireland's further and higher education system is well-equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Fiona's role includes leading the development of the office's strategic plan and overseeing its implementation as well as providing strategic direction and leadership in the development of tertiary programmes and arrangements.

A key element of her role focuses on maximising the impact of initiatives aimed at enhancing the pathways for students from Further Education and Training to Higher Education. Fiona’s role has responsibility for creating and strengthening strategic and regional partnership arrangements between Education and Training Boards and Higher Education Institutions to allow learners to progress in a clear, seamless manner between FE and HE with pathways that are clearly defined and easily accessed.