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

The Deputy will be aware that in the budget we made provision for a €100 million increase in the current spending for the third level sector. In addition, on the investment side we have made provision for a €200 million investment in the institutes of technology under a PPP arrangement, investing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, and other facilities in the institute of technology, IOT, sector. In the investment plan outlined in Project Ireland 2040, we have also set out investment plans for €2.2 billion in the third level sector overall. We have very considerable ambitions for the improvement and growth of the third level sector as a key element in achieving balanced regional development. We have big ambitions for the third level sector and they are endorsed very clearly in the ten-year spending plan.

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