Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have one further question. We are still playing catch-up after the financial downturn in 2008 and 2009. I am not sure if the witnesses have a figure for what is needed to really bring us up to where we need to be. When they look at our world counterparts, is there a perfect example where third level funding is fantastic and in the premier division? Is there an example we should be bringing here and implementing somehow? Mr. Miley spoke about philanthropic funding. Many universities would be in serious trouble if they did not get philanthropic funding. I am not sure if the TU sector, now that it is up and running, will be able to get the same philanthropic funding as the universities. Will there be the same appetite from those philanthropists out there?

I was listening to a radio station yesterday - I will not say which one, but it was not my own - and they were talking about the TUs as if they were not real universities. It is such a downgrading of students who will be attending those colleges in the future. It was almost a slap in the face to some students to hear the radio presenter say that they were not real universities. These students will be coming out with a parchment that will open huge doors for them in the future.

If we continue on the path that we are on of recovering from the downturn, we will never reach the point we want to get to. Where has the best example of philanthropy funding that we should implement here?