Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We contribute a percentage depending on the number of hours provided for under the contract. I will get the Deputy more detail on this matter if she requires it. We want to ensure we continue to have this vital voice and expertise in our third level sector.

This brings me on to our university ranking for research. One of the fundamental factors underpinning the ranking system is the need to ensure more research is done. I will have more to say about this aspect of the matter later when we move on to third level funding. It is clear, from the feedback I am getting from third level colleges, that we must continue to put public funds into research.

I am happy to follow up with the Deputy on the matter of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Molex and the loss of 500 jobs. I was in the midlands recently and saw that the education and training boards, ETBs, and the likes of Athlone Institute of Technology are working together to upskill people through retraining and are engaged in capacity building in anticipation of changes in work practices. An example close to my home, as a Donegal man, was the 3,500 affected workers at the Unifi textile plant in Letterkenny when Fruit of the Loom decided to move away from Donegal between 1999 and 2001. We had to upskill and retrain those employees, and that capacity building and the education sector are areas I want to keep a focus on. If there is a specific avenue through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, I would be happy to support the Deputy on that.

Deputy Martin talked about teachers' salaries. Our Supplementary Estimate is down this year. We are not in any way complacent about that and we tried to get it down as low as possible. One of the messages from this committee last year was to get more of a handle, for want of a better word, on projected pension increases. I acknowledge the Deputy's role in that regard and I particularly acknowledge the roles of my officials in the Department who have worked hard on that. The annual figure for pensions alone is €1.3 billion, which is significant. It is about getting it right, and getting the guesstimate right in advance. I thank my officials for that.

Deputy Martin also mentioned getting more accurate measures for substitute cover. It is difficult because that is a day-to-day matter, covering sick leave and maternity leave, and there are other factors involved. Through our primary school panel, we are trying to help the system and the principals at the coalface who need that cover at short notice. The pilot of that panel is only in its infancy for Cork, Galway, Dublin, Meath and Kildare. We will keep an eye on that but I would like to see it rolled out further.

I am also conscious of constraints. There are constraints when it comes to the demands in the greater Dublin area and there are issues around the cost of accommodation, which is a reality facing many young teachers in Shanghai, Beijing, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I have met those teachers and have tried to listen to where the constraints are. That is one of the barriers to bringing them back. We will continue to engage with them to see how we can try and help provide cover in the future.

Transport has been mentioned by all four of the committee members here today. We are committed to a review and that process has started. One of the commitments I gave in my budget contribution was that we would look at transport. We are up to €220 million, going into next year, and between the special education sector and the mainstream, we are talking about providing for more than 120,000 pupils day to day. As Deputy Martin suggested, we need to look under this issue. We can be smarter in getting people to educational facilities using less transportation and fewer vehicles. There are smarter ways to do that. It will require engagement with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I am asking my officials to engage with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton, who has overall responsibility on climate change. Traffic congestion, as the Chairperson mentioned, is a matter of safety for children going into primary schools in rural and urban areas. As part of the review of transport, I want to incorporate a wider element that specifically includes examining if we can have more interdepartmental collaboration and address safety aspects.

Deputy Martin is welcome to engage on BusConnects. There is a piece of work that we can do through further engagement in that space.