Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 374: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Question No. 343 of 17 May 2005, if there is any source that such information will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17274/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not have the information requested by him. However, in 1998 the HEA commissioned Professor Patrick Clancy of UCD to carry out a survey of new entrants to higher education. This study found that there were 649 new entrants to higher education in Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland in 1998. An extract from the county of origin analysis is illustrated below.

The HEA commissioned Fitzpatrick Associates and the ESRI to carry out a survey of new entrants to higher education in 2003. This study found that 589 students from the Republic of Ireland accepted places in higher education institutions in Northern Ireland. The study did not breakdown this figure by county of origin. However, it is likely that a significant proportion of these students came from border counties.

The HEA has commissioned the ESRI, working with Fitzpatrick Associates, to carry out a more detailed study of new entrants to higher education in 2004. This study will obtain data on the number of people entering higher education in Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland by county of origin. The findings of this study are expected by the end of the year. The HEA will be making inquiries with the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland regarding the possibility of collecting this data on a more regular basis.