Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

No, they will not be cancelled. Vert well.

On the general data protection regulation, GDPR, if the UK becomes a third country after Brexit, how will that work in terms of transferring research data from UK universities to Irish universities? I am greatly concerned about the impact it will have on students. It is great that the memorandum of understanding agreed in May 2019 covers the right to attend university. However, I am worried about fees. How sure are we that people from Belfast will be able to attend university in Dublin, as they can now, and not be charged international fees after a no-deal Brexit? Similarly, the Erasmus programme was mentioned. How will that be affected?

The overarching issue here is the funding of higher education. The OECD chart with which we were provided speaks for itself.

It is shocking to see how little we invest in research compared to other countries. I would like to offer my support to the witnesses' call for a Cassells scorecard. It is very telling that in 2019, there is a €138 million gap between what is needed and what is being provided. The Government says that higher education is a priority. It needs to show that with resources.