Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious that we were due to talk to the Minister specifically on Brexit-related issues, but that we have moved to a broader range of questions. I welcome the fact that the Minister is addressing the borrowing framework issue. I also welcome the indications from what he said about student access and the income thresholds for student grants. One of the biggest challenges is for middle income families that are just above the threshold. It is important that is a priority.

I want to return to the Brexit-related questions and Erasmus. The Minister mentioned Horizon funding and some other areas. We have not always done perhaps as well as we could have in accessing European funding. I know the Minister indicated previously that, especially in a post-Brexit scenario, we would look at targeting European funding to a greater extent, including greater Irish representation in Brussels to be able to engage, to develop partnerships with the European agencies and with other European institutions but also to look at ways whereby we can deliberately target drawing down European funding and building those partnerships. Could the Minister elaborate further on that because it does present opportunities for us post Brexit?

I welcome the fact that the Government is going to pay for mandatory hotel quarantine for Erasmus students who may have to come back. My understanding is that, as of now, none has had to avail of it. My personal view is that we should spend the money giving grants to students to spend longer in continental Europe to hone their skills rather than spending it in a hotel in north Dublin. Hopefully, by June we will be in a very different scenario and we will not see Erasmus students having to quarantine. It is not just about the message for Irish students coming home, it is equally for those international students who will be arriving here over the summer. Perhaps the Minister might be able to give us some assurances for those.