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

I thank the Minister. We welcome the inclusion of greater detail as to who the Minister will consult on the strategy for tertiary education. However, there are still a number of issues. While I welcome the specific inclusion of SOLAS, we need to strengthen the links and pathways between further and higher education. I have raised with the Minister previously that less than 5% of the approximately 4,000 students in pre-nursing courses go on to degree level. The figures are not recorded for pre-law courses.

I also very much welcome the inclusion of trade unions on the list. Their absence was notable in the Bill as drafted. More needs to be done, as we have spoken about, to strengthen the role of trade union engagement within the HEA.