Professor Declan McGonagle:

We only arrived at that figure in preparation for this meeting. It owes to the general cutbacks, the way in which we attracted more students and, most importantly, our move to a three-year degree structure from a four-year one, which provides a saving to the State. We are unique in doing this. It was one of our preoccupations from 2009 onwards. As part of the review of the education landscape, institutions were asked to show that they were distinctive providers in the sector and that there was an avoidance of duplication. We have been clear that this is what we are about in our strategic path for development. It is a sustainable change. We have engaged in a new relationship with UCD with a view to creating synergies, including a raft of back office synergies that we expected to come about much sooner than they have done, that will address strategically many of the issues being discussed at this meeting and that figure in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.