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

The Minister knows that the higher education institutions are carrying a debt of almost €1 billion as it is, and he knows what needs to be done in human capital and everything else that is needed. Related to that, how many labs have been put in since last year? The infrastructure was proving a problem in meeting the demands of higher numbers. The London Economics review of the Augar review, which is an appraisal of the English further and higher education systems, argued for a less market-orientated approach to third level education in England. The Minister referred to the North but he knows there is a block grant situation there. As the Tánaiste said, the solution to that is an all-island education system and we have to work towards that. I was pleased when the education committee recently appointed me as rapporteur on a report examining the barriers to all-island education. I agree with the Minister that there should not be fees in the North or the South.

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