Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of third level places available throughout the country; the number of students accommodated; the number who had to seek places abroad in a number of institutions in other EU countries including the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35150/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The number of full-time new entrants to publicly funded higher education institutions under the Higher Education Authority is larger than it has ever been due to an expansion in third level places in recent years. Indeed, Ireland is currently performing very strongly in terms of student participation in higher education and has the highest tertiary attainment rate among 25-34 year olds in the European Union. Most recent data available to my Department, in respect of the 2010/11 academic year, indicates that almost 41,000 full-time new entrants had entered Irish higher education institutions, bringing the total full-time enrolment to a record high of 161,000. Enrolment in higher education in Ireland has increased by almost 16% since 2007. The higher education sector has stretched itself significantly to accommodate these historic increases in the student population at both third and fourth level. This has been achieved largely on the strength of more efficient utilisation of campus space in the sector. Data on numbers of Irish students seeking college places abroad is not available to my Department.