Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the Taoiseach that our public services are in bits. We all know about the public housing crisis, and we are aware of the dire situation in our public health service, but one crisis that is less remarked on but which is very severe is the crisis in third level education. That crisis was not in any way addressed or acknowledged in the Government's recent budget. The Taoiseach may have noted that the Irish Universities Association released a statement recently expressing significant regret at the failure of the Government to address the funding crisis for third level education. The Union of Students in Ireland and other student union bodies have also expressed huge disappointment at the Taoiseach's failure to address the funding crisis for third level education and for student poverty. Does the Taoiseach acknowledge that we have a crisis and that Ireland is at the bottom of the league table in Europe for funding per student? The Irish Universities Association has helpfully included a graph with its statement, which compares Ireland with other European countries. It shows the State investment per student in the following countries: Finland €20,000 per student; Germany €10,000 per student; The Netherlands €14,000 per student; Norway €16,000 per student; Sweden €19,000 per student; and Ireland €5,000 per student. Ireland's €5,000 funding per student is a tiny fraction of what is invested in third level education cross Europe. This per student investment is going to further decline, because according to the Minister's budget speech we are expecting another 18,000 people to enter further education and university over the next number of years. The budget, however, gave the sector a 1% increase in funding. It was €19 million extra, which is nothing. It is a drop in the ocean that will be mopped up many times over by the increased student numbers. Does the Taoiseach acknowledge that there is a problem here? Has the Taoiseach any intention of doing something about this funding crisis in third level education?

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