Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is entirely reasonable and correct but there are very clear ways of measuring it. We know, for example, how many people took up a place last year through the CAO in the first round. We saw the increase in the number of students getting level 6 and level 7 offers. There is no doubt whatsoever that more students went to college this year than the previous year. That is a point worth making. We are able to map these things out.

There is another important figure. We know that every year around 50% of students get a place in their first choice course and around 80% of students get a place on one of their top three choices. We saw that metric again this year, which would suggest that the extra places made a very real and meaningful difference to getting students into college. More students got a college place this year than ever before. This year, more students will get a college place again. However, the Deputy's point is true in that it is not always possible to match extra places to those areas in which there is most demand. Sometimes those reasons are non-financial.

Sometimes those reasons concern matters relating to placements. That is why we are working across Government to see if there is scope to increase not just places but also placements in respect of courses that require clinical placements, teaching placements, etc.