Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 316: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his proposals to tackle debt which has been incurred by third level institutions; his views on the cutbacks to student services at a third level institution (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43479/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has invested significantly in higher education in recent years with funding of some €2 billion being allocated this year to the sector which includes recurrent and capital funding. I acknowledge however that in the current difficult budgetary and economic climate that there will be challenges for our third level institutions in prioritising and managing budgets to maximum effectiveness. In that regard the Higher Education Authority (HEA) is working closely with the institutions to effect economies across all levels of activity.

I understand that as part of the budgetary discussions held with each institution, the HEA agreed balanced budgets with each institution for 2009 and also agreed on the action that must be taken by institutions to eliminate accumulated deficits, where they arise. The HEA continues to monitor the budgetary situation of each institution and in that regard, each institution was recently requested to provide an update on their budgetary position.

The Deputy also referred to cutbacks to student services in a particular institution. It is a matter for the individual higher education institutions, including the institution referred to by the Deputy, to manage their operational affairs, including student services, in the context of implementing the employment control framework. To provide for the application of the moratorium arrangements in higher education institutions, the Government agreed that such a framework be developed subject to the continued oversight and review by the HEA and both my Department and the Department of Finance. This framework allows flexibility around recruitment into posts that are considered essential to maintaining core teaching and research activities, subject to an overall ceiling on numbers employed. The Government is anxious to work with the publicly funded higher education institutions in achieving necessary reductions in public expenditure within the sector as an essential part of overall budgetary strategy. I understand that, within the terms of the framework, the HEA are currently in discussions with the particular institute in relation to options for addressing some specific operational issues that have arisen there.