Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join the Chair in welcoming our guests and in thanking them for their contribution to the committee's efforts to assess the future reform of the third level sector and the challenges that need to be met in the immediate future in order to ensure we have a strong and sustainable third level sector. All four groups have provided comprehensive presentations outlining the issues as they see them and those presentations will be very useful to us.

I would like to develop further some of the points made. The Irish Universities Association representatives mentioned amendments proposed for the Universities Act and concerns within the university sector at the implication the Minister will have more control in terms of staff level and setting staff income. Will the delegation elaborate further on how the universities see this operating?

The delegates have said the level of funding per student has dropped by 11% in the last four years. They have indicated that staff numbers have decreased significantly over the same period, leading to an increase in the student-staff ratio. Obviously, these changes have been presented as efficiencies. Some of them would have resulted from unmanaged retirements in various departments. As in the rest of the Civil Service, people in this sector are leaving the system as they reach retirement age. It is not the case that there has been a strategic intervention at global institutional level to ensure efficiencies are made, operations become leaner and quality is maintained and improved. Will the delegates comment on how they have managed the reduction in staff levels in a way that has brought about efficiencies, as well as cost reductions? How have they been able to protect quality at the same time?

I would like to ask those involved with the universities and the institutes of technology about the potential for developing online and distance learning. What is their assessment of the potential value of such forms of education not only as a means of educating but also as a revenue stream? What assessment has been conducted in this regard? What are the views of the educational institutions on the potential of this activity?

The representatives of the universities and the institutes of technology have outlined that their funding has been cut in recent times. The institute of technology sector has lost €140 million in funding at a time when student numbers have increased from 51,000 to 64,000. Similarly, the funding received by universities has decreased to less than €11,000 per student. As part of last week's budget, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, is seeking to generate more revenue from students by increasing the student registration fee by €250. At the same time, he has identified €25 million in cash reserves that can be used to make savings. Overall, this will mean students will pay more into the third level sector and the State will contribute less to it. It is obvious that this money will be used to offset the expenses and funding needs in other parts of the education system. What is the extent of the cash reserves in the institute of technology and university sectors? The Minister has identified a figure of €25 million this year. I am surprised to hear there are cash reserves after five budgets in which serious adjustments have been made. Are the cash reserves in the institute of technology and university sectors sufficient to allow for the €25 million being sought in the year's budget to be absorbed?

According to the report, Towards a Future Higher Education Landscape, institutes of technology should have an opportunity to come together and apply for technological university status. Do the delegates have concerns about those institutes of technology that will not become part of technological universities? What is their view? Are we looking at another tier of institutes of technology? How do we ensure the quality and status of the existing institutes of technology are maintained? I would like the delegates to comment on that issue.

I thank Professor Ryan for the update he gave us on the Bologna process. It strikes me from his report that we seem to be performing reasonably well as we try to match the targets set. He suggested the 2010 deadline was "too ambitious" and that "it has now been extended to 2020." He has said a small number of countries are considered to have seriously grasped the challenges put before them. Is it the case that many European countries have not given this matter the attention or priority it needs? Has anything changed in this regard to suggest that by 2020 we will have achieved the platform envisaged when the project was embarked upon?

I thank the representatives of the Migrant Rights Centre for their attendance. I compliment Ms Lowry and Ms Bezborodova on their composed presentation about how this gap in the system has affected them. I suggest the joint committee take up this immediate issue. Perhaps, with the agreement of members, the clerk to the committee might write to the Minister to inform him of the presentation we have received today and ask for a response on the issues outlined in it which are affecting many students unfairly. I refer to people working in this country and students who will join the workforce when they complete their studies. This stark barrier to engagement in third level and continuing education is exceptionally unfair. We need to try to find an immediate and short-term solution to it.