Professor Mark Rogers:

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to the committee. As I have provided a detailed submission, I will keep my comments to the key points.

Universities will play a key role in Ireland’s recovery from the economic impact of Covid-19 and the university sector is ready and willing to partner with Government in response to those challenges. I echo the comments of the CEO of the Irish Universities Association, IUA, who recently observed that the importance of higher education and research was clearly recognised recently through the creation of a dedicated Department. Today I will highlight why universities require a sustainable and multi-annual funding model to support them in delivering their objective, which is, to educate, undertake research and scholarship, and in doing so, promote cultural, social and economic development.

It is generally agreed that the current funding of higher education is inadequate to meet the competing demands of the sector both in a national and international context. The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates that in 2019, funding per undergraduate student was 50% lower than in 2008. Between 2008 and 2021, full-time equivalent student numbers in higher education increased by 42%, a rise of 65,000 students. That growth in student numbers coincided with reduced State investment in higher education. As a result, State grant funding per student fell from just under €9,000 in 2008 to just over €5,600 in 2021, a reduction of over 37%. In 2021, the actual increase in direct State recurrent grant funding in real terms amounted to approximately €121 million, a considerable shortfall on the €600 million per annum recommended by the Cassells report in 2016. It is essential that the overall funding of the system increases in line with the recommendations outlined in that report. It is also essential that this increase should not be associated with new activity but recognises the actual underfunding of current activity.

As noted by the IUA, the role of universities was pivotal throughout the pandemic. The advanced skills and research knowledge in our third level system and the flexibility in which it was applied underpinned much of the response to the pandemic, both nationally and across the globe. Without proper recognition and funding of the expertise, knowledge and capacity to innovate that is inherent in the sector, such responses to future crises may not be possible. We must ensure the funding model for higher education properly recognises the role of universities in research, innovation and scholarship, as well as in the education of the next generation of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.

I will now turn to the priority of supporting access, diversity and inclusion in our higher education system. Successive national access plans have made real and significant progress in access. We now need to see emphasis on inclusion, which requires a holistic approach at institutional level, underpinned by the principles of universal design for learning. This is best achieved by appropriate funding of all students. Targeted initiatives are important and play a critical role in the path to embed the principles of inclusion, equity and access, but our ambition must be to transform our system so that all students are treated equitably and the learning experience is universally designed and configured to meet their needs.

Many students face significant obstacles in accessing third level and access and inclusion can only happen where barriers to entry are removed. A key impediment is the inadequate level of support provided through the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant scheme. Recent changes to the system to further support asylum seekers and changes to the travel distances in the context of eligibility are important steps in making the system more accessible. However, further work is required on the qualifying social welfare payments, the special rate of grant category and provisions that reflect the modern family.

My final point is on support for mental health and well-being as it is a critically important issue in universities for both students and staff. The challenges posed by the transition to higher education are diverse. Research indicates that many of the serious mental health issues first emerge in the undergraduate entrants age group. It is important that there are appropriate policies, protocols and procedures in place for mental health, critical incidents and the appropriate use of emergency response teams. These policies should be linked to wider polices on the student experience so that an institution-wide approach is adopted and embedded in the campus culture. It must also be recognised that universities are part of a broader societal context. While they provide mental health and well-being supports, they are not well placed to provide services and supports that are best delivered through the HSE. The national student mental health and suicide prevention framework for Ireland calls for an embedded whole-system approach and higher education institutions will only be effective in this area if supports are provided at whole-sector level.

I believe we are at a serious juncture. Without a coherent, multi-annual funding mechanism that enables universities to deliver on current demands, innovate, develop new approaches to teaching and fully support an inclusive and diverse community of learners, the objectives of the national development planwill not be realised.