Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not true that we are duplicating because any envisaged future outlined by Peter Cassells and his committee would envisage an increased contribution from the Exchequer and an increased contribution from employers. We are advancing that with an April deadline so that we are in a position come next year's budget to indicate a future path for the funding of higher education. In this year's budget based on Exchequer resources alone, we have indicated a three-year path of increased resources. There is no doubt that Peter Cassells's report has also thrown up the issue of whether that will be sufficient and whether we need to envisage changes in the way we now fund higher education.

As the Deputy is aware, his proposals envisage that there will be no fees for someone going into college so it would be free at the point of participation but that there would be a recovery thereafter. He also points out that it would not be like the UK model but would be modelled more on the Australian system. It is important that Members get the chance to tease out the pros and cons of that approach so that we can develop an agreed approach to this issue if that is possible if we feel that this is the way forward and if not, what the alternative would be. I acknowledge that there are difficulties with a loan model but I also see, as the report points out, that there are considerable attractions in it. We need to do the work that the Oireachtas committee is undertaking. I hope we will be in a position come next year's budget to indicate a consensus view as to how we should proceed on the issue.

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