Ms Br?d Horan:

There has been very little discussion of that option. I have not heard about any appetite. If the structured approach that was outlined under the income-contingent loans was investigated in depth, that would have possible attractions. The sector itself reacted negatively to it, but that was following political and student reaction to it. The Cassells group was made up of representatives of the sector and there was quite a strong consensus view based on the international research and experience that income-contingent loans were equitable and manageable.

We were not suggesting that any other country's model should be copied but that a model should be developed for this country, recognising the issue, for example, that was mentioned by Deputy Ó Cathasaigh around emigration, and all of that should be built into the model to make it workable for this country. That would be a very important aspect.

In terms of the role of the private sector, as Professor Rogers said, we all seek to attract funding directly from private individuals and, again, we are very grateful for that kind of support. Wealthy individuals obviously can contribute more, but funding also comes from our former students and other friends of the university. That money is used to support our activities directly and, in particular, to support access for less privileged students and support for them while they are in college.

With regard to people coming from different locations, even if they are living near their institution, I have been shocked to hear the word "lonely" used quite a lot in recent times about students. Sometimes, it is not just about practical supports; it is that they are feeling lonely. There is evidence that the demand for counselling services, for example, has doubled in some institutions. We need to be concerned about all aspects of the well-being of students, whether it is the lasagne going back on the bus on Sunday night or ongoing personal individual supports.

As Ms Duggan said a number of times, we need multi-annual secure funding so that we can build up those resources within the institutions. It is not for want of trying to get private funding. We have corporates as well that support particular programmes and particular investments. At the end of the day, however, the State is, in my view, the core underwriter of higher education. I am really hoping the debate in this committee will tackle that fundamental issue.