Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Arresting the decline in our third level sector cannot await the deliberations of an Oireachtas committee over the medium term. By all means, there are detailed issues in which the Oireachtas committee will get involved but all options involve substantial Exchequer funding of our third level sector. The bottom line is there must be a response in this budget, otherwise the Government is kicking the can down the road because it cannot realise the recommendations of Cassells on investment levels if it does not meaningfully address them in the forthcoming budget. It goes to the core of a responsible investment approach for Irish society. Peter Cassells addressed us last week. What was interesting was they were worried by the degree to which working people and people on lower incomes were finding the going extremely tough in terms of access third level education.

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