Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

Over the past 40 years the OECD has played an important part in stimulating the development of third level education and, indeed, science policy. The Minister cited figures that illustrate the enormous expansion in third level education. It received a new wind in the late 1980s. I recall attending some of the meetings at the time between the then Minister, Senator O'Rourke, and the then Taoiseach, Charles Haughey. The expansion that started or restarted in the late 1980s was very much economic policy driven. At a seminar held in the Royal Irish Academy in 2003, Dr. Frank Rhodes pointed out that universities — this applies to all third level institutions — now act as gateways to professional practice, primary agents of scholarship and research and great agents of social mobility. Tremendous investment has been made in the infrastructure of our universities and third level colleges. If one visits them at an interval of four or five years, one is liable to get lost among the new buildings that have been erected. There are similar plans for the future, including the move of the DIT to Grangegorman.

I strongly endorse the comments of Members from the south-east region, including Senators Cummins and Kenneally. It is essential from a regional policy perspective that some of the expansion of the universities and third level institutes takes place in the south-east region. I appreciate much has been done in broadening the Waterford Institute of Technology by spreading outreach programmes to Kilkenny, Wexford and so on. Equally, I appreciate the establishment of the Tipperary institute in the Minister's home town of Thurles and Clonmel, where there are further welcome developments such as the establishment of a facility of the institute at Ballingarrane House. However, the Government needs to open its mind in regard to the south-east region which has, compared with most other regions, fallen somewhat behind in terms of per capita income.

Another welcome development was the establishment of the research councils for science and the humanities in the past two years. There was a check a couple of years ago when a significant cutback in research funding occurred, although this was to a large extent restored last year. If I understood the Minister correctly and there is an ambition to double the number of people studying for PhDs by 2010, the money for this must be provided. I would not have as negative a view as Senator O'Toole in regard to private funding for research, particularly in the area of science. It can and should play a valuable role.

The Minister's predecessor did much to try to improve equality of access by increasing maintenance fees. However, we live in a democracy and the people's will counts for something. Whatever reservations we may have had about the abolition of fees, the decision has been taken. I do not see it as reversible or that there is any public support for such a move. The disadvantage is, as some heads of universities never cease to remind the Minister, that it makes third level colleges exceptionally and directly dependent on State funding. As the Minister stated, this sector must fight with other priorities, although given a choice between improving a road or any part of our education system, it would be my priority to improve the education system and wait another five minutes in traffic. One of the ways out of the situation would be to attract full-fee-paying foreign students but I hope this would not be at the expense of Irish students.

We must make academic careers attractive to young lecturers who are to spend their lives in the university system. At present, young academics move from six to 12 month contracts and getting onto the ladder seems very difficult. It is easier in many careers to get onto the ladder and have a reasonable degree of security. There is intense insecurity among young academics and this may be prejudicial to quality. One needs to be very determined to make an academic career these days whereas there was a security of tenure 30 years ago.

I appeal to the Minister to avoid the mistake made across the water and not to over-bureaucratise matters by constantly hassling and harrying lecturers with performance tests so that they spend half their time responding to them. By and large, staff in these positions are highly motivated and should be allowed to get on with the job.

Although I do not propose a solution, I wish to reflect on a major dilemma — a problem common not only to Ireland but to the whole of western Europe. This is the competition with the highly funded American system of higher education. The Americans have no hang-ups about elitism and money buying education. It was said to me that middle class parents in Europe try to pay off their mortgages whereas in America they pay for university fees of up to $35,000. The problem is that there has been a brain drain to America. The best professors and lecturers get offers and many of them go to America. How do we compete? Is there a case for us to encourage the establishment of a private university with some guaranteed State access for disadvantaged groups? While I do not know the answer, the question must be posed.