Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's reference to the European Union only works because Northern Ireland is not currently in the European Union. A third level student in Northern Ireland today will pay £4,530 a year and will have to meet that cost in full through student loans. I just checked the conversion rate today and that means students in Northern Ireland pay fees of €5,247 every year. If Northern Ireland was still in the European Union the question would need to be altered. However, I do take very seriously the point the Deputy makes. My Department's statement of strategy, which I published on 8 March last, contains a commitment to put in place a sustainable funding model for higher education. This is essential in ensuring our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and performance and achieve critical outcomes.

The Deputy will know that a comprehensive evaluation of the funding options was contained in the Cassells report. The all-party committee in the last Oireachtas asked for an independent economic evaluation of those options to be carried out, and the European Commission and independent expert consultants were involved in that regard. That review is being finalised and I expect to receive it in quarter 2 of this year. I will be happy to brief the Deputy on that review and debate it in this House.

This analysis highlighted the high level of fee support, amounting to more than €500 million annually, composed of funding for tuition of almost 140,000 eligible undergraduate students in higher education. More than 60,000 students now have all or part of their €3,000 student contributions paid. I worry sometimes when the message goes out about the student contribution fee that people considering accessing higher education may think that every student in the country must pay €3,000. Nearly half of our students now get their registration fees paid in full or in part under the SUSI grants scheme, and we are reviewing SUSI to ensure that more students are included.

The student registration fee, however, is very high and I would like to see it reduced. It must, however, be done as part of a sustainable funding model. What we will not be doing is introducing a student loan scheme, such as we have seen in other jurisdictions. I do not think that is a good model, and I expect to be able to outline to the House sustainable funding models for higher education later this year.

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