Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important Bill. In our programme for Government, we clearly set out with an ambition: "To encourage more international students to study here and to create new jobs in the sector". In addition, we aimed to double the number of students from areas outside the European Union and in particular from emerging markets. International students are a very important part of our education community. Not only do they provide much needed funds, they also bring with them their own culture to the college or university they attend. Nowhere is this more evident than in Dundalk Institute of Technology, which is home to over 5,000 students and lecturers. It has students from all over the world, including China and the United States. It is great to see many nationalities studying together in Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is a great asset to County Louth and, in particular, Dundalk.

We in County Louth have been very successful in attracting direct foreign investment, so much so that one in every ten jobs created by IDA-backed companies now comes to the county. Last week, I had the great pleasure of announcing that SalesSense is creating over 100 new jobs in Dundalk. When I spoke to Ger Teahan of SalesSense, I was most struck to hear that one of the company's main considerations when deciding on the location of the new jobs was the availability of a skilled and educated workforce in the Dundalk area. It was noted that the presence of Dundalk Institute of Technology was a major factor in this regard.

In Ireland, we know better than anyone that education is the foundation of any skill-based economy. We must protect and support our education system. The Bill before the House is important for the future development of that system. Among other things, it proposes to make provision for certain education providers to apply for authorisation to be described as a university outside the State for specified purposes, thereby supporting the policy of internationalisation of higher education in Ireland. It also proposes an amendment that would allow the Minister to refuse access to certain information. The purpose of this amendment, which will exempt schools run by education and training boards from freedom of information law, is to stop the publication or creation of school league tables. Like the Minister, I am totally opposed to the publication of such tables as they do not represent a true picture of how schools work with their students. For a large number of students, getting a C in ordinary level maths requires the same hard work and dedication as a student getting an A in higher level maths. If we use league tables for schools, the work and commitment of a student getting a C in ordinary level maths will not be reflected properly when compared to a student getting an A in higher level maths.

This morning, I had a look at OECD figures that set out the percentage of international students in third level education in various countries. Australia, where 20% of all students come from abroad, was at the top of the list. Ireland was 12th on the list, with just over 6% of all students coming from another country. This is an area in which I feel we can greatly improve. As I said earlier, Dundalk has seen the many advantages of large numbers of students from other countries attending Dundalk Institute of Technology. I believe the Bill before the House will consolidate and strengthen Ireland's position as a world-class provider of third level education.

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