Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Again, I do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of the report. I have said before on the record of the House that I do not favour the model in place in Northern Ireland and do not want to see our students coming out of college laden with debt. I do not want to see the fear or perception of debt being a barrier to access for certain families either. I am very pleased we have the SUSI review under way. This is something one will never hear anybody say, but 44% of students attending higher education today have their registration fees paid in full or in part by SUSI. We are now spending, I think, more than €350 million a year on student supports in addition to the figure of €1.87 billion I mentioned that is being spent on higher education. When the two are added together, we are investing more than €2 billion in higher education each and every year. However, it is certainty of funding the sector craves as well as knowing what the funding model is. We already have a model whereby our employers contribute through a levy and a model whereby much Exchequer funding goes in and is matched by some of the registration fee. I really hope the economic evaluation will be able to present us with real options. The Deputy is right that we will need an honest debate. That is why we need to facilitate publication of the data and the information and that honest debate.

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