Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)

Some of Ireland's third level institutions are facing a critical shortfall in core funding, something repeatedly highlighted by the OECD, the European Commission and our universities. Despite rising student numbers and growing demands in staff and infrastructure, core funding remains well below the required level to ensure quality, accessibility and efficiency. Can the Minister outline what steps his Department is taking to address this core funding gap, and will he commit to a roadmap towards significantly increasing core investment in our higher education sector?

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