David Norris (Independent)

It is important we get this right and encourage people because the economy is in difficulty and skills deficits have arisen in certain economic sectors. For example, the medical technology, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries have increased their share of Irish exports from 32% in 2000 to 51% in 2008. As a result, the number of applications for science degrees has surged, which I welcome. This surge has been met by an inevitable decline in the number of people applying for apprenticeships and so forth, especially in the building and allied trades.

I raise again the extraordinary proposal from the Higher Education Authority to phase out plastering courses in the Dublin Institute of Technology and to transfer them to Athlone Institute of Technology which has only provided such courses for the past four years in response to the building boom. The Dublin Institute of Technology, on the other hand, has won gold medals in this area and its wonderful lecturers include a person who is doing a PhD in Trinity College Dublin and a member of staff seconded from the Office of Public Works which did the wonderful ceiling restoration in this Chamber.

In response to the economic situation, the number of applications to the Central Applications Office increased from 66,500 last year to 72,500 this year. The Minister of State listed the numbers of applications and indicated there was pressure on the system but did not indicate how the system would respond to this pressure. The nub of the problem is that core funding to the universities was cut by 5% in 2009, a significant amount. As a result of the moratorium on the recruitment of staff, the number of staff will decline by 6% this year. While the number of CAO applications has increased substantially, the system which is supposed to absorb this increase cannot function efficiently without proper assistance. During the great days of the Celtic tiger we constantly heard that one of the reasons for the phenomenon of the Celtic tiger was the wonderful education provided in Ireland. We will support the Minister in making whatever provision is necessary to ensure we continue to have a good input in this area.

I thank God I am not involved in education any longer, either as a student or teacher. While students face a number of problems, I am pleased to note that the university authorities have some sympathy. For example, Trinity College Dublin, my own place, gives good advice to students to select two subjects in their TR001 option to ensure they have a fallback position if places are oversubscribed or there is competition for places. UCD had a similar idea and is introducing a new subject preference grid this year. The problem, however, is that the record number of applications will leave many students out on a limb. The Government must take a new initiative to respond to the surge in applications. I hope this debate will help spark such an initiative.

I note the chief executive of the Higher Education Authority, Mr. Tom Boland, has hinted that a new cap on the number of students could be necessary as underfunded universities struggle to cope with rising numbers. I wonder if this is the correct approach. On the one hand, we encourage people to study——