Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not agree there is any problem with foreign students coming into Irish universities. Plenty of Irish pharmacists, doctors and physiotherapists train in Scotland, Wales and England every year. This has been the case for some time. That is a good thing. I do not agree with that at all.

The Deputy referred to it being underfunded. I accept that there is a figure to which we would all like to get. It would be appropriate for the Deputy to recognise that in the past two budgets, the former Minister, now Taoiseach, made substantial progress in bridging that gap. I do not think that even the Deputy, as former spokesperson in this area, said in the Sinn Féin pre-budget submission that the gap should be closed in one calendar year. I do not believe anybody would suggest that. If the Deputy has to inquired with me about it, then I ask her to at least not be disingenuous and say that we can somehow close the gap in one year.

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