Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. There is a good deal in their statement that we can use and work on. Some of the points we will not have time to discuss here today are certainly noted. I thank IFUT for its engagement and work on this issue, and for sharing the report prepared by the committee as well. Its membership is important and I acknowledge it. I believe IFUT’s opening statement grasps the importance of the topic. It referenced the research recently published by The Irish Times and the ARINS project. I also acknowledge its references to Fr. Mícheál Mac Gréil, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. IFUT cited some of the reports he did on prejudice and tolerance in Ireland and plurality and diversity as well. The huge amount of work he did across the Border is well documented. His legacy will live on in that.

Does IFUT believe that the barrier to students going North and South is a substantial contributing factor? Does it believe that reform in this area could make progress in addressing this? Are there any issues or challenges in regard to the increasing cross-Border enrolment from the side of the unions that we may not have anticipated? That is my main question. However, IFUT rightly places the under-funding of third level education front and centre. It is of great concern that no discernible progress has been made in regard to the student-teacher ratios or the widespread precarious employment in the sector. The current funding levels and incentive structures on both side of the Border leave no space for institutions actively to engage in promoting cross-Border enrolment at undergraduate level. Does IFUT believe that the under-funding is currently one of the reasons that the HEIs have been unable individually to put initiatives in place to help to overcome the barriers to cross-Border enrolment?

Does the TUI believe that the development of the technological universities can help to increase cross-Border enrolment, particularly from North to South? What support will the TUs and DkIT need to deliver on that potential? In its submission the TUI calls for a 1% levy on corporation profits to fund higher education. This is a TUI position which it put forward previously. Does it have additional information on this in terms of how much revenue it would generate? How would it operate alongside the national training fund? Would it operate alongside it or would it replace it?