Dr. Graham Love:

I thank the Chairman for the invitation to attend. Mindful that I am the last speaker and that there are some points very strongly in common with the previous speakers my opening statement will be further cut down. We have provided our paper from last October which talks about the pros and cons and opportunities. I would like to highlight a few things. The key concerns around Brexit for higher education and research, as were outlined in that paper, are student mobility and residency rules, international education programmes, academic professional mobility and recruitment, and research collaboration and funding. Challenges identified include that we will not have exclusive opportunities as others are looking at this; the fact that many European countries are building up English language provision; the visibility of Ireland - I sometimes think that we kid ourselves on this because yes, some of our nearer neighbours are very aware, but for others we are not necessarily seen in as a single independent entity; the points made around absorptive capacity limitations that several of my colleagues have made; and the historic lack of investment in the Irish higher education and research system.

Fundamentally we believe that higher education and research should feature as a central component of Ireland's Brexit strategy. I want to be very clear on that. A high quality higher education and research sector can make a significant contribution to boosting the international standing of Ireland for the benefit of Irish society and economy. Stronger links between higher education research and Irish small and medium enterprise, particularly in regions outside Dublin, can help to cushion the impact of Brexit in the short term and boost competitiveness in the long term. There is evidence that suggests that international students bring a significant multiplier effect, with some estimates suggesting it is in the region of €1.4 billion to €1.5 billion per annum.

We have an opportunity to globally position Ireland as a distinctive high-quality, international hub for higher education and research by boosting investment in higher education and research to send a strong message that Ireland is back in business after a decade of austerity, identifying and developing new partnerships with other EU higher education institutions, and attracting large EU flagship projects or centres to Ireland.

Irish higher education and research can be a talent magnet, attracting the best students, academics and researchers for the benefit of Irish society and economy through targeted initiatives to provide opportunities for the recruitment of international students, academic staff and researchers and professionals seeking to relocate here, and potentially exploring new contractual arrangements to encourage and facilitate Irish and international researchers across all disciplines. Particularly important will be the launch of the International Education Mark as part of a concerted effort to promote the quality of the Irish higher education and research system internationally.

In closing I would like to leave the committee with one unambiguous message. Higher education and research, with the right inputs - and I emphasise that - represents a major opportunity for Ireland in facing Brexit.

I am relatively new here but my colleague, Gemma Irvine, from the HEA, and the chair of the Irish Research Council, Jane Ohlmeyer, are also present.