Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Higher education is a key enabler which will allow us to grow our economy by enabling us to respond to the changing needs of our society. It enables growth and innovation through high quality research and learning, facilitates the self-actualisation of citizens, opens up access routes for under-represented groups and ensures that Ireland Inc. remains an attractive place in which to invest.

To deliver on these key social and economic priorities, the Government needs to make the right choices. We need to prioritise investment across a key range of areas, across society and within education. Decisions on the future funding of student supports will be informed by the consideration of the options contained in the Cassells report published in July 2016. As committed to in the programme for Government, the report has been referred to the relevant Oireachtas committee. Out of respect for that committee, I am awaiting its report before any making any decisions in that regard. I am happy to give a commitment in Seanad Éireann today that once I get the report from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills, I will bring it to Cabinet and decisions will be made.

While the Cassells report deals with the medium and long-term funding needs of higher education, the Government has been cognisant of the immediate funding challenges in the sector. It was in this context that additional moneys were secured in budgets 2017 and 2018 for the higher education sector. This year, for the first time, the budget for education has exceeded €10 billion, some €2.6 billion of which is for higher and further education. The Government, to be fair, has put its money where its mouth is and is investing in education. Admittedly, we need more investment in higher and further education but this year's budget is a statement of intent in the sense that it provided a substantial increase for the sector. There will be €200 million in public, private partnerships for the 11 institutes of technology. A commitment was also made last year to invest an additional €100 million in higher and further education, bringing the total to be spent on capital between 2018 and 2021 to €360 million. Additional money was also provided in budget 2017 for access plans targeting disadvantaged groups. Last year, funding for these plans amounted to €36.5 million while this year, €60 million was provided on top of the €36.5 million. There is a serious commitment in that context.

I was asked about the CAO issue, which I fully recognise because the Wake-up SUSI group made a very strong case to me. The CAO is planning to put a link on its website to the SUSI list of approved courses for 2018, which I welcome. Another Senator referred to tax relief. Such relief is available at the standard rate for all fees, including those of private colleges.

The additional money that I have just mentioned will be targeted at various access measures such as maintenance grants for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students, lone parents, a

new 1916 bursary scheme and measures to incentivise higher education institutions to attract more students from disadvantaged communities. Other higher education activities that will benefit from the additional funding include inter alia research, skills, technological universities and institutional mergers, flexible learning, demographics and the international education strategy.

While the State provides some Exchequer funding to private higher education institutions in certain instances, for example, through the Springboard programme and an ICT skills conversion programme, this is very different from a proposal to extend the free fees initiative and student supports to students in private institutions. To do so would require significant additional investment at a time when there are challenges in meeting existing levels of demand. We also need to be cognisant of other cohorts of students who would benefit from accessing the free fees initiative and the student grant scheme if resources were available. In particular, these include part-time students, postgraduate students and repeat students. In the decisions it has taken, the Government has sought to prioritise funding where it will be most effective.

I have great ambitions for what can be achieved in higher education. I understand that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills is finalising its deliberations and is due to report

to the Minister for Education and Skills in the near future.

A number of other issues were raised during the debate. A Senator asked a question about larger families. There are different income thresholds for families with fewer than four dependent children, families with four to seven children and families with eight or more children. There are increments available when additional students are attending college. There are different grant rates for those children. The student assistance fund is also available.

I think I have covered most of the points made.I have taken on board the points that Senators Gavan, Gallagher, Byrne, Kieran O'Donnell, Ó Riordáin and Warfield have made and will consider them and talk to the officials about them. I think I have answered most of the questions that have come up here today.