Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Leas-Chathaoirleach will be aware, the budget is coming up. One issue that is of critical importance to this country's long-term social and economic development is investment in further and higher education. We know that the higher education sector has faced a funding crisis for a long period and earlier this year the Minister, Deputy Harris, quantified the scale of the need for investment at €307 million.

We anticipate that the budget will contain measures to help students. We have pushed for significant improvements to the Student Universal Support Ireland grants scheme and the Minister is looking to cut student fees. I want to be assured that any additional funding that is provided for the higher education budget to support those initiatives is not done at the expense of addressing the core funding issue. What we cannot see is an announcement for an increase in higher education funding but at the same time, because of a cut in student fees, the real income is cut to universities and other higher education institutions. It is important that we have a debate on the future of higher education and higher education funding in light of what happens in the budget.

Yesterday, An Bord Pleanála approved the development of what has the potential to be Ireland's largest film studio at Borleagh Manor, which is located just outside Gorey, County Wexford. I congratulate Mr. John Gleeson and Mr. Ivan Dunleavy who have been the two primary promoters of the project. A film and television production studio has enormous potential and this country has a strong record in this regard. Given the number of new studios that are being granted planning permission, these are very welcome measures and we need to support the entrepreneurs who are moving in that direction.