Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The potential of education has been mentioned by all my colleagues. Some years ago, I was involved in launching a course in food safety run by UCD specifically aimed at Chinese students on the basis of bringing them into the Irish system and building connections. It is invaluable what can be achieved later when students return to their home countries and get involved in the food industry, probably at a senior level, be it in research or in the marketplace. Apart from trying to increase revenue and numbers by attracting foreign students, is the higher education sector adopting a strategic approach or is every university or institute of technology doing its own thing? Is a strategy overseen by the HEA or the Department? I am bugged by duplication among agencies where they do the same job. This has happened with cross-Border projects and cross-Border bodies where there is not enough synergy or too much silo thinking with individuals going off to do their own thing. There could be a better return for the taxpayer and the proposed recipients of services if there was an overarching strategy and less duplication.