Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government does get it and it understands what needs to be done here. I point out to the Deputy, as I have done before, that he was an esteemed Minister for Education and Science. The fact of the matter is that the taxpayers of this country were left with a €64 billion debt to pay back for banks after the catastrophic management of the economy. That is fact. We are emerging from that. The IoT review was based on an expectation of a static Exchequer contribution. That is not what the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, intends to follow through with.

I refer Deputy Martin to what the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, said in his speech on the budget:

Ensuring education remains the linchpin of our economic success requires an intensified focus on a sustainable long-term [funding] model for higher and further education. I am committed to this goal and building on the significant investment in education announced now.

He went on to say:

The Minister for Education and Skills and I are, therefore, initiating a consultation process on the design and operation of an Exchequer-employer investment mechanism to operate from 2018 onwards. This is also intended to drive continued reform, quality and performance across the sector, in line with the action plan for education.

The Government is not in a position to do everything one would like. There is almost €40 million investment this year for the first time in nine years and both the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Education and Skills have a clear plan about how this should be dealt with. We have to discuss the outcome of the Cassells report. The Minister expects to bring his proposition for longer term, sustainable funding of the entire third level sector to Government by mid-2017.

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