Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the invitation to address the House at a very busy time in the third level education sector.

I will start by giving the House an up-to-date position on the sector’s response to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. TheGovernment has been unequivocal in its welcome and I am proud to see that this approach is widely reflected throughout our society and in our sector. However, facilitating the significant number of people arriving is challenging, not least for the education sector. I record my appreciation for all throughout the further and higher education sector who have responded generously and openly, and supported my Department as it delivers its policy responses.In line with the European Council decision of 4 March, the Government is applying the rights afforded under the International Protection Act 2015, which includes the right to access the labour market and education to qualified persons on the same basis as citizens of Ireland. It follows that they will be treated on the same basis as Irish students where fees are concerned and my officials are currently examining how these students may be further supported, including financially, in order to facilitate their continuing education in Ireland. We will be bringing a memorandum to Government to agree additional supports for qualified persons.

I have also tasked a panel of experts with creating a central help desk hub for Ukrainian students who want to continue their studies in Ireland. This group, which is made up of key stakeholders from multiple agencies across the higher education system, is working towards establishing the national student and researcher help desk. The help desk will be able to direct students to a local college equipped to meet their educational needs. In agreeing to fund this help desk, I know that it will be established by admissions and research advisers who will be very well placed to give the best advice to students and researchers arriving from Ukraine. I expect the help desk will be operational towards the end of this month. The situation in Ukraine is having profound effects across Europe in all areas of life. Most significantly, it is disrupting the lives and education of thousands of Ukrainian children and students. In Ireland and across all European countries, Members are well aware we are already welcoming students and pupils into our universities, colleges and schools. Our priorities in our education systems have to be to welcome, support and meet the needs of the students, teachers and researchers who are displaced.

I move to the cost of education. As Members are all very much aware the difficulties students face, like those faced by so many others in society, have increased as a result of the increased costs of living. For students and their families, this includes not just costs such as accommodation and food but also education-specific costs such as the student contribution. I have regular meetings with the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, and ongoing engagement with students across the country and hear stories of how these costs affect people. The Government as a whole is committed to addressing issues related to the cost of living. I have already taken significant steps to support learners and their families. Effective from the start of the next academic year, the rate of all maintenance grants will be increased by €200 for all Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, recipients. I have widened the thresholds by €1,000 to allow more people to apply for student grants and I have reduced the non-adjacent qualifying distance from 45 km to 30 km in order that more students can qualify for the higher rate of grant. This reflects the increased costs for those who live further away from their colleges. I have also put significant additional resources into the student assistance fund, including an additional €1.3 million, which brings the fund to €18.5 million for the current academic year. It is also important to note that approximately 65,000 students either pay no tuition fees or a significantly reduced rate of fee. These costs are covered by my Department through the SUSI scheme and last year, €190 million was allocated for this purpose. However, the SUSI scheme clearly does not cover everybody and there are many families who must pay out significant amounts of money each year to continue in third level education. There are different options to address the costs of education, including lowering student contributions, but fundamentally these are decisions which must be made in the context of the annual Estimates process.

As I look towards the next budgetary cycle I will be examining all the levers we have to address the issue in a way that has impact for students and families and that applies broadly across society. Let us be clear today that this package must and should include commitments to reduce the cost of education for families. Education is a fundamental right. I believe in access for all and that we must remove all barriers to access. I am also excited to speak to Members about developments in how we reform the funding of the higher education sector. I will be bringing forward a proposal on a funding model to Government in the coming days. It will be implemented as part of forthcoming budgets. Implementation of this model will entail the sector delivering strengthened performance and enhanced outcomes based on a robust reform agenda. This approach will be informed by the comprehensive economic evaluation of funding options that has been carried out under the auspices of the European Commission's structural reform support programme. The Minister, Deputy Harris, brought this matter to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery and Investment shortly before Christmas. This allowed the key issues to be explored. It was agreed that the Minister and the Department would engage further with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, and his Department to inform the Government's consideration and in particular to undertake technical work to update costings reflecting relevant funding decisions in budget 2022 and other issues. This is nearing finalisation. The work has sought to robustly assess the assumptions underpinning the economic evaluation and to take account of the significant levels of State funding that have been invested in higher education and student support in recent years. It is our intention to bring final proposals for funding and reform of higher education arising from this work to Government very shortly.

We are also clear that from a policy perspective, addressing the sustainability of the higher education system must proceed in tandem with measures which address the costs of education as a barrier to accessing higher education. We need to focus on both if we want a system that can be accessed by everyone and that can deliver the talent and skills our country needs. With that in mind, I will also be bringing the review of the student grant scheme to Government at the same time. The new funding and reform framework will be provided to the Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, following Cabinet consideration and will be published along with the economic assessment report sponsored by the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support, DG REFORM, on the sustainability of higher education and the SUSI review.

There have been many reports on higher education funding over the last number of years and our goal is not simply to publish the economic assessment but for the Government to make big decisions that will allow for a multi-annual, inclusive process implementation to commence. The implementation process will allow for important input from stakeholders and provide much-needed momentum on the overdue implementation of key decisions that will guide funding and reform of the higher education sector in the years ahead. I look forward to hearing from Senators on what will be a clear and hopefully progressive way forward.