Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the House and I thank him for the information he provided and acknowledge the proactive engagement with third level institutions by his Department over the last few months.

The Department of further and higher education, research, innovation and science is a welcome development, bringing together the funding agencies of Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. Ireland is renowned as a centre of learning, from Clonmacnoise to the excellence in research shown by our Irish researchers winning at European Research Council, ERC, level. We have had four winners of the ERC starter-award in Ireland this year.As a spokesperson in this area, I very much welcome investment in over 2,200 additional student places in respect of the leaving certificate, which allowed more people to access courses and helped alleviate the pressure on points. There were over 275 places in the west, with 60 in engineering at NUI Galway and over 30 in healthcare at GMIT. I wish students well in the context of the second round offers issued by the CAO yesterday. There were over 35,000 additional posts on the Skills to Compete programme and 3,100 in postgraduate courses. There are many ways and paths to reach one's career choice. I encourage everyone who is listening to consider all different ways to reach his or her career. I also encourage people of all ages to consider further education as well. As the Minister mentioned, there is much we could learn about the digital divide and things such as social media and going online. There is so much for all of us to take on board.

The Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, also launched the third round of €500 million for the disruptive technologies innovation fund this morning. That is an initiative bringing enterprise and third level together to drive innovation. Again, it shows how important third level education is when it comes to industry in this country. A package of €168 million was designed to help the further and higher education sectors deal with the impacts of Covid-19. The new fund of over €15 million for student devices will enable access to laptops. That will be available in the student access offices across the country and in the education and training boards.

In terms of safe reopening, the Government has shown its commitment to prioritising education and the safe reopening of schools and colleges. Now, more than ever, we need research and innovation to help us respond to challenges in healthcare and climate change. It is heartening to see how all sectors work together. Many third level institutes supported the HSE with facilities to support contact tracing teams and testing. I have spoken to different colleges, including NUI Galway and GMIT, and the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board, and the majority of courses and tutorials are being delivered online, with the exception of practical work, laboratories and clinical. GMIT will be opening on 28 September and managing over five campuses. Covid response plans have been put in place and the investment in personal protective equipment, PPE, has been noticed and is very welcome. Colleges have been working with students' unions to offer support and guidance to students and their families. It can be an anxious time for students leaving the structure of secondary school behind. Mentor networks have been set up in many colleges, and I welcome the new investment in the student support service and the 24-7 number. One can text "Hello" to 50808 to have a chat. No problem is too big or too small.

The unique college experience for first years will also happen, albeit in slightly different ways. Online orientation is happening and clubs and sports clubs will be operating. We will see many people trying out kayaking in Galway, especially on the River Corrib. It will still be great craic and it will still be a great place where people can learn and make friends for life through their college experience. It is a wonderful time to learn and discover.

Regarding key priorities, it is important that education is accessible to all. Social cohesion, as the Minister noted, is key. The first point for me is funding of the sector, particularly on foot of the Cassells report and the review of the commission. What will be the next steps for the funding of third level, especially with the loss of international students and the funding and income they would have provided? The second point relates to acknowledging the importance of third level and how it will help our economy and society to recover. Access to skilled graduates, world-class research teams and research infrastructure is a key consideration when attracting foreign direct investment. That is crucial for Ireland. We could also consider reviewing the targets of the regional skills fora. Some of the measures the Minister mentioned, such as apprenticeship.ie, the €3,000 for taking on an apprentice and ThisisFET.ie, are wonderful resources. There are also the Skills to Compete and Skills to Advance programmes under SOLAS, Skillnet Ireland and the MentorsWork eight-week business support programme, which is fantastic and is free to SMEs across the country.

The third point is the development of technological universities, which was also mentioned by Senator Byrne. I have a particular interest in the Connacht-Ulster Alliance, which will be submitting an application shortly. The alliance brings together GMIT, the Institute of Technology Sligo and Letterkenny Institute of Technology, potentially over eight regional campuses. That shows how important it is to have access to third level in regional areas outside the main urban centres. The importance of this technological university is bringing together students, enterprise and communities in the west and north west. Is that not a great concept?

Why is our region so deserving of the Connacht-Ulster Alliance?The west and north west are now an EU-designated region in transition. The income levels of people in the west and north west are roughly 75% of the EU GDP average, including all 27 countries. We need to see how investment in third level education is going to deliver for our enterprise, industry and entrepreneurs in our area. That is about technology transfer, engaging with innovation vouchers from Enterprise Ireland and supporting those businesses.

I ask that we strongly consider Horizon Europe funding and that all of my colleagues ask for that support from the European Research Council. Member states are driving for that. We, in Ireland, targeted over 3% innovation as a proportion of our GDP. We have many challenges that are ongoing at the moment but we have fantastic potential.

Our universities and third level institutions are places where world-class research takes place. We need to invest in the best and innovation is the answer. As Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon said, unless we invest in research and innovation, trusting in its best minds, "the future we want will never arrive".