Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that the Department has that report but my question is when we will see publication. It is important we have an open debate on this and that all the stakeholders are involved in the process. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has previously promised that the report would be published this autumn. Given the critical nature of investment in this sector, as the Minister of State himself outlined, that report needs to be published quickly.

As for Ireland's very specific international offering, our economic strategy was based for a long time on tax and talent. We now know we will no longer base our arguments solely on tax, perhaps rightly so. This country will rely very heavily on its talent offering. As the Minister of State will be aware, that is part of the reason our party ensured the established of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as something to drive that, but you cannot have the driver unless the sustainable funding model is addressed. I therefore ask the Minister of State that this document and the strategy to follow be published this year and that we commit to the necessary serious investment in higher education and research.