Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We do have a new Department, so I am pleased to say that we have new announcements and new funding, but I will share with the committee a useful document that I had done for myself which outlines the main features of budget 2021 and can help track where the additionality is. I will circulate a copy of that to the committee through the clerk at the end of this meeting.

On the transfer of functions question, I am being blunt and honest, but it was easier to do it from education to further and higher education because there was a very clear demarcation. We were basically lifting anything that did not involve going to primary or secondary school and moving it to the new Department. With the new Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, it took a bit longer to work out what should be retained, for example, with Enterprise Ireland, versus what should come to the new Department. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will bring the memo to Government this month to transfer those functions, and then the budget will be transferred with the agreement of this committee, early in the new year. Therefore there is no difficulty or blockage. The principal area for which we will be receiving responsibility is Science Foundation Ireland and, in addition to that, the responsibilities for research policy and innovation 2020.

In respect of the figure per student, it is an important figure, and I will get it to the Deputy because I do not have it. The point made by the Deputy on infrastructure is a fair one, and it is one of the reasons, when I got the chance to get some one-off money on budget day for 2020, we decided to favour capital investment. There is €15 million extra going out to the higher education institutes now for capital work schemes.

Subheading B12 relates to a technical adjustment. In fairness to every colleague here and myself, some of these tables are a little bit difficult, because some parts are remaining under the Department of Education and some parts are coming to my Department, so sometimes the minus figure can be a reflection of that.

On the issue of student support, I was asking the very same question. It just so happens that in terms of the demand for SUSI, we have not seen the level of increase that we expected to see, probably because we were in a good place economically at the start of 2020 in terms of people's employment. However, we expect that figure to rise in 2021, and that is why we have set aside an additional €20 million.