Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for attending. I apologise on behalf of Deputy Jonathan O'Brien. He asked me to deputise for him today as he has to attend another meeting.

We certainly agree with any strategy that aims to have a more modern and flexible education system. It is good that the relevant studies have been carried out and that the Government is examining ways to improve education. With regard to the economic and resource-utilisation aspects, approximately 80% of the higher education budget is spent on pay.

I note the pay of university professors in Ireland is much higher in comparison with the rates in Canada or the United States. When one considers the majority of the best universities in the world are in America, it is clear that attainment of high standards in education - or indeed in banking or politics - is not intrinsically linked to high wages. Consequently, I believe the entire subject of high pay within education must be examined. Perhaps there is scope for increasing funding streams for Irish universities because globally, there are several examples in which the alumni of various colleges contribute hugely to their budgets. For instance, there are several examples from the United States in which the alumni provide a fair percentage of the universities' income stream.

Sinn Féin would promote the development of online courses and supports open education, which is extensively used throughout the world. A number of such models operate throughout the world, including in Australia. I am surprised one key point was not mentioned today, which is that on foot of reduced parental income and reduced grants for students attending college, one risks going back to the days when only the very wealthy could afford quality third level education. Perhaps one way to address this risk would be to focus on online courses. While I acknowledge it would cost money, were it to provide better education to a wider audience of students, it would be a very good investment. One of the reports suggested that education should be seen not as a cost but as an investment and I fully subscribe to that view. Has consideration been given to extending the academic year? While I am unsure what is the position globally in this regard, it appears to me as though it should be possible to reduce a four-year course to three years by extending the academic year. I confess there may be good reasons this should not be done but I am not aware of them. If productivity is being examined, the most obvious sign of productivity would be the production of more graduates in a shorter time and overall, the production of more graduates with the requisite skills to work in the present environment.

I refer to the Hunt report and hope I will not be accused of being parochial in this regard. It appears that centralisation automatically is assumed to be a good thing and that it will benefit quality, efficiency and effectiveness. In many cases that is so, but not always. I am thinking of St. Angela's College, Sligo, about which the recommendation was the service should relocate from that college to NUI Galway. First, were that service to leave St. Angela's, it would put in jeopardy the other services offered in that college. Second, it should not be automatically assumed that the service would be improved by relocation. There is tremendous scope for improved co-operation and joint governance without physically transferring and endangering what is an excellent college in Sligo. Consequently, I hope the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and the Department have not closed their minds to the possibility of achieving or perhaps exceeding the same desirable objectives, while leaving the service within St. Angela's College. I seek the witnesses' views on this issue.

Reference was made to the ICT skills project and I note concerns have been expressed in some IT colleges-----