Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I cannot say here and now. I do not think anybody can say here and now. It is something that would have to be considered as part of the budgetary process. That process is internal within a Department. Sections within each Department compete for available resources. The Department and the Minister and Ministers of State sit down with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. That is a negotiated issue as well, in that we make a pitch in the same way as every other Department and we have an ask. We do not always get what we ask for and that is not unique to this Department. It is probably the same with every Department of State across the horizon of government. It is about allocation of resources and we have lots of competing demands, as the Acting Chair knows. We have student accommodation, we have to deal with apprenticeships and all the other funding required for further and higher education. It is all part of it. We obviously have to keep an eye on the everyday cost to students. We have put significant resources into the student assistance fund, as the Acting Chair knows. It is a very valuable tool for helping and making available resources to students. It also gives a lot of local autonomy and decision-making to student services officers and the organisations and committee that run the funds across the different colleges. To be straight up, I am not in a position to give the Acting Chair a commitment in the here and now there will be a permanent reduction. It is desirable, I would like to see it and I think we all would, but we are not at the point where I can say it in the here and now.