Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Cassells and Dr. Doris and thank them, not only for their contributions but for this report which is very thought-provoking, to say the least. Mr. Cassells mentioned that the status quois not an option. I made a point here last week when I spoke to the heads of the universities that we have run out of road on this issue. I was told that not only have we run out of road but an articulated lorry is coming up behind us. It highlights that doing nothing or maintaining the status quois not an option.

My concerns about a loan system, which have been articulated by a number of speakers, is that the thought of a loan would be enough for low-income families to ignore third level because they might not have much experience or knowledge of loans. This would be a shame. The one thing we must keep in mind is that regardless of the option we decide to choose, it should not deter access but promote it for as many people as possible. This must be the key driver. The witnesses mentioned how a 1% increase in the employer's contribution could yield an extra €50 million per annum. How much further scope is there for employers to pay into the system?

In respect of how the universities and institutes of technology function, has much work being done on how efficient they are? Is there room for improvement in how they spend the resources allocated and if so, where do those resources lie? On the face of it, option number one would seem to be the safest option in that the State provides the funding and access is there for all who might require it. The only problem with that is that it is dependent on the Government to increase funding from the current 60% to 80% at a time when there are a number of challenges on the horizon from the economic perspective such as Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in the US. All these issues are of concern to a varying degree and could have a negative impact on our economy, which is very much exposed to outside factors, as we all know. It would appear to be the fairest way if we could get a commitment that this funding would be increased long-term rather than being year to year, but therein lies the challenge. The job of this committee is to debate after we have heard all the contributions and try to find a solution or a recommendation we can put forward. Ultimately, it is important to point out that it is not this committee that will decide. That is a matter for the Minister and Government of the day.