Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 1 February 2023

Select Committee on Education and Skills

Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised)

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming before the committee and, like the rest of the committee members, I support the Revised Estimates. I welcome the €80 million being provided for evaluation, quality and inspection supports to students. I was going to ask the Minister of State about student accommodation issues and I know a lot is being done about that in University College Dublin. I will not ask him for an answer now considering the vote is imminent. I welcome the fact that so many small third level institutions are continuing to get funding from his Department. I refer to a couple of them in my constituency in particular. The Royal Irish Academy of Music is something we all want to support but I ask that maybe the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Harris, if either of them was available, would visit the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies at some stage. It is a fantastic institute in my constituency. It has a school of Celtic studies, a school of cosmic physics and a school of theoretical physics. I think they would enjoy their visit there. The fact that it was founded by the founder of Fianna Fáil, Éamon de Valera, is another reason they would enjoy coming out there. It is an extraordinary location.