Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister and my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on this issue. As an educator who worked as an associate professor in the area of social science in Maynooth University, I emphasise the importance of social policy and social sciences in education. I worked at Maynooth University, but there is also a university in my constituency, namely, DCU. It provides high-quality education. However, our education system is affected by inequalities, lack of access and underfunding. In particular, as was mentioned by my colleagues, there are issues of precarious contracts at third level.

This is about the power of education, and not just to create an economy. Without a functioning society, we cannot have a functioning economy. There needs to be an emphasis on, and investment in, social sciences. Those sciences provide for critical areas, including community work, social work and teaching. They also provide the ability to understand the social issues we are, and will be, affected by and bring forward solutions.

At the heart of it is bringing through students from disadvantaged backgrounds in particular. I have seen this. There is empowerment through education. In Ballymun in my constituency, for example, the average age at which a person finishes education is 19. In the 2022 census, only 30% of adults in Ballymun had an education higher than secondary. That number shrank to 16% when considering third level qualifications. We need a commitment to resourcing higher education overall, but particularly schemes such as the higher education access route, HEAR, and the disability access route to education, DARE, which provide access for those with disabilities and those suffering from disadvantage.

As the Minister has said, we see across the world, and particularly in the US, an attack on universities and academics. It is important for us to assert our support for the third level sector and universities and to allow for funding and critical engagement, particularly in the social sciences. We need solutions to the issues of housing, inequality and poverty. We must provide the support services our society needs to ensure we have a functioning and sustainable economy.

See this speech in context