Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Our higher education system needs reform. Unfortunately, this Bill is a missed opportunity to take the necessary action. It is welcome that this legislation will revoke the existing Higher Education Authority Act 1971, which is now over 50 years old. The legislation is an opportunity to reform the law in this area and to include progressive policies within the objectives of the Higher Education Authority and individual higher education institutes. The Bill contains positive elements but leaves room for improvement. The positives of this Bill include student representation on the board of the HEA and structured student engagement and provisions for lifelong and flexible learning. The introduction of equality statements and gender-balanced measures on governing bodies is also to be welcomed.

Unfortunately, there are more negatives than positives and the legislation is overly prescriptive on governance structures. It reduces the representative nature of governance structures. It provides for selective exemptions for Trinity College Dublin only. Other institutes must also have room for exemptions. The law does not provide for trade union representation on boards. It does not explicitly commit to protecting the public ownership of higher education. Improvements were made to the Bill during prelegislative scrutiny, when a number of Sinn Féin recommendations were taken on board. These include the specific reference to the HEA having a role in the promotion of the Irish language, but this needs to be strengthened.

The HEA role in promoting cross-Border co-operation in higher education is to be welcomed. The legislation addresses some governance concerns in higher education, but this is not the main problem facing the sector. Legislative reform will be of limited value unless it is accompanied by a sustainable funding model. We urge the Minister to publish the economic evaluation of the Cassells report and to bring forward a plan for taking higher education out of austerity mode. The Bill provides a clear pathway for private colleges to become designated higher education institutes and to be potentially funded in the same manner as public colleges. The HEA should be given an explicit mandate to protect the public nature of third level education. We have seen too much privatisation and pandering to private interests. The public good must be prioritised.

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