Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad it has come back to the Minister. Maybe he will confirm when it came back to his Department.

A major part of the State divestment was based on passing the costs on to students and families, as is evident from the fact we now have the highest fees in the European Union. We need a sustainable funding model, as the Minister said. The Cassells report made this clear in 2016, yet we are still waiting for the report five years later. It is urgent. The Minister told me in September last year the report would be completed by the end of 2020. When I asked about it again this year, he told me it would be in March. Today he is telling me it will be in the autumn. He will forgive me if I am a little sceptical. It has to be produced. The Minister knows that unless the new legislation we are now scrutinising is underpinned with serious investment, we will not do the job that needs to be done. After years of reports, including evaluation reports, it is beginning to look like there are delay tactics. The work really needs to be done now.

See this speech in context