Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of our guests for their submissions. I fully agree this is a critical conversation. Indeed the Minister himself has said the raison d’êtrefor the setting up of the new Department is to get the funding model right. This is an opportunity for us to do that.

I am very disappointed that despite the Minister promising month after month to have the economic analysis from the EU Commission, we could be having a much more informed conversation here were we to have that economic analysis in front of us to save us reinventing the wheel.

I 100% welcome that the Minister has taken the loan scheme off the table. If we are to look at a loan scheme even for a nurse in a public institute for higher education, she or he would come out of college €12,000 in debt, or €27,000 in debt out of a for-profit private college. It is very important we agree on that from the outset.

In looking at what our guests have been saying, this presents a stark picture when we look at the funding per student. There is 37% less funding per student today than there was in 2008. We now have of all the advances, all the technology and all the investments that have needed to be made in higher education. The difficulty I have is reconciling this. If we are going to have a proper discussion about this, we need to be honest across the board. The Minister will say he is providing the greatest level of funding to third level education this year than ever before. This is what people are hearing. Yet, when we look under the bonnet, we see 37% less funding per student. Does that 37% less funding per student figure include Covid-19 funding and how much of that is outside the standstill cost? I am trying to get at how much goes to the student. I would ask that we talk to that issue for the moment, namely, the standstill costs and the 37%. Would Mr. Miley like to take that question first?