Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on whether by international comparisons there is serious under-funding of universities and third level colleges here; and her proposals in this regard. [21566/07]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the recent OECD report, Education at a Glance, which showed that expenditure on education at all levels here lagged well below the EU and OECD average; if she has plans to increase funding to bring it up to the EU and OECD average; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21608/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the OECD's Education at a Glance 2007 report which places Ireland near the bottom regarding education spending in relation to overall wealth generated. [21482/07]

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the recent OECD report, Education at a Glance, which ranked Ireland at joint bottom place in an international league table that links spending on each second level student to overall wealth; her views on the report; if she will increase funding for this sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21607/07]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her views on the Government's under-spending on education as highlighted in the recent OECD report Education at a Glance 2007 which clearly shows that relative to GDP per capita Ireland spends significantly less on education than other OECD countries; and if she will make a detailed statement on the way the Government will address this matter. [22046/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 134, 150, 158 and 384 together.

The OECD report to which the Deputies refer relates to 2004 and hence does not capture the extra investment that has been put into Irish education in the past three years. In fact, the education budget this year, at €8.6 billion, is €2 billion or 30% higher than in 2004.

The report also doesn't capture the thousands of extra teachers hired since 2004. As a result of all these extra teachers, we now have one teacher for every 16 students at primary level and one for every 13 at second level. However, putting aside the progress since 2004, the report highlights that even at that point, Ireland had the second highest increase in total public expenditure on education between 1995 and 2004 of all the OECD countries surveyed.

It also showed how Irish students are performing significantly better than those in other developed countries on a whole range of important measures. For example, the reading ability of Irish 15 year olds was far better than the international average. 91% of Irish 25-34 year olds had completed at least upper second level education or an equivalent course such as a FÁS qualification – compared with an OECD average of 82%. The proportion of the population aged 25-34 with higher education in Ireland at 41% was well above the OECD average of 32%. Ireland was in the top three (with Spain and Finland) most socially equitable countries in terms of educational outcomes and access to higher education. The number of science graduates per 100,000 of employed 25-34 year olds in Ireland was the second highest in the OECD. Third level drop-out rates in Ireland were also significantly below the international average.

At the end of the day, in education it is the outcomes that matter and Ireland's educational outcomes are something to be proud of.

This Government is determined to ensure that Irish students continue to benefit from an excellent education system. To this end, we have already committed €32 billion to education over the next seven years under the new National Development Plan.

We are planning for increased enrolments in our schools, improvements in the curriculum, massive investment in our school building programme and greater participation in 3rd and 4th level education.

In relation to issue of funding for third level education in Ireland, I would like to point out that public investment in higher education here has increased significantly in recent years. The overall provision for the higher education sector amounts to some €1.9 billion for 2007. This represents more than a doubling of the funding made available in 1997. Investment in higher education will increase further under the NDP.