Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the core grant and grant in lieu of fees paid by his Department to the university sector in each year since the abolition of college fees in 1996 to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34173/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for disbursement to the University Sector. This funding includes a block grant to cover core teaching and research activities, grant in respect of undergraduate tuition fees and earmarked funding for specific purposes.

There have been substantial improvements in the funding of the university sector in recent years. Recurrent funding allocated to the University sector has increased from €631m in 2004 to some €831m in 2008. This excludes separately provided programmes of funding for capital, for research and development and from the Strategic Innovation Fund. This represents an increase of some 32% since 2004 and an increase of some 150% since 1997.

The following table sets out the recurrent funding allocated to the HEA for the university sector since 1996 together with the amount of this funding which covered the grant in lieu of tuition fees.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of students within the university sector in each year since the abolition of third level college fees in 1996 to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34174/08]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number within higher education in each year since the abolition of college fees in 1996 to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34175/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 361 together.

The information requested by the Deputy is as follows.

Since 1980 the HEA has commissioned surveys on participation rates on six-yearly intervals and the most recent survey was carried out in 2004. From 1980 to 2004 the participation rate grew from 20% to 55%, one of the highest increases among OECD countries. The very steady improvement in the educational profile of the Irish population can be observed by comparing the educational attainment levels of different age groups in the population, for example, the proportion of persons aged 25-34 (41%) with higher education is double the equivalent proportion of 45-54 year olds (21%).