Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

On a related matter, the academic year for most third level institutions finishes relatively soon. The period in which our colleges and their top-class facilities are not in use each year is something of a farce. We are all conscious of the huge investment that took place in universities and institutes of technologies in the past decade or so. Those facilities should be in use for at least 90% of the year rather than 60% or 70%. Does the Minister intend to renew his request to these overly remunerated persons to take a reduction in line with what is an extremely high salary ceiling? The next academic year will come around fairly quickly.

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