Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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6. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report to Dáil Éireann on his plans to reform third level fees; his plans to increase accessibility to third level courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10712/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Government recognises the importance of higher education to Ireland's economic future and social development, as well as the huge impact a higher education experience has on the lives of individuals. In considering the best way forward, the previous Government established an expert group to examine future funding requirements for the higher education system and to present options for developing a sustainable long-term funding strategy for the sector. This group has completed its work and its report will be considered shortly. As signalled in the programme for Government, it is the intention to consult the cross-party Oireachtas committee as part of the process for formulating a plan for the future of this sector.

The Government is also committed to enhancing equity of access to higher education. Participation rates for under-represented groups have increased steadily in recent years but there are still some groups that remain very under-represented. The new national plan for equity of access to higher education, for 2015 to 2019, provides a framework for widening access further and contains ambitious targets for the participation of those from certain socio-economic backgrounds, people with disabilities and mature learners. The implementation of this plan, along with a series of other commitments with regard to promoting access to higher education, have been outlined in the programme for Government. This will complement the significant work that is already underway to ensure that our higher education institutions are representative of Irish society.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Is the report the Minister referred to the report that was promised by the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan?

I will deal with accessibility first. Is it not a fact that there are still important areas of the country, such as the Minister's constituency and mine, where there are postal districts in which third level take-up is still less than 20%? In areas of mid-west Dublin, it is the same situation. What immediate steps is the Minister taking to try to redress that?

It has been estimated that the third level sector is about a €1 billion short of the necessary funding. Many lecturers - something like 75% - are not full-time employees. In that context, what is the Minister's attitude towards the expert group on the future funding of higher education, which proposed income-contingent student loans based on the Australian model? I would be strongly opposed to that. I believe in Exchequer funding in this regard. What does the Minister propose to do?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I fully agree with the Deputy that we need to increase participation from groups that are not well-represented, including areas of particular disadvantage. The targets that are set envisage an increase of about one third in the participation of disadvantaged groups. They have been set out in different areas across students with disabilities, mature students, various socio-economic groups and so on. They are at the heart of the strategy I mentioned. That is something that, as part of the programme for Government, we will be implementing. The report on funding to which to the Deputy referred is the report by Mr. Peter Cassells. That report, with all the options, outlines a number of different routes that could be taken. The three routes it has proposed, as I understand, will be brought before the Oireachtas committee so that the Dáil, as a collective, can form a view as to how we should proceed.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Early intervention is clearly critical on the accessibility side to encourage deprived families to be able to support children towards third level education. Is the Minister aware of the programme that is piloted in our own constituency, the Preparing for Life programme of Northside Partnership, which revealed huge developments for children in our constituency when additional interventions occur? I wonder if that is something the Minister could expand on a national basis.

The impact of the austerity policies of the last Government and the previous Fianna Fáil-led Government on the third level sector has been deplorable. Is it not a fact that if one was to look at league tables of universities, our third level institutions seem to be tumbling down them? Trinity College Dublin is something like 75th and my own alma mater, UCD, is down to 150th. Is that not a direct result of what the Minister's Government and the previous Government did to our third level sector?

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Deputy that that pilot scheme run by the Northside Partnership is exceptional. It is an example of how we should proceed. Among the 30 actions that are committed to in higher education access one is to build on those kinds of approaches to try to build pathways for children who might otherwise find it difficult to get to higher education. It involves mentoring, looking at non-progression in some of the important transitions in education and looking at the recognition of prior learning in order that people who might have left education without the qualifications that would normally be required can get back on the train. There are many interesting areas there that I hope we can accelerate. I am very anxious to see improvements in those areas.