Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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50. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the expert group on future funding for higher education chaired by a person (details supplied); if he will rule out the imposition of a student loan scheme and tuition fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28386/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education, published in July, clearly outlines the funding challenges in the higher education sector and offers a number of approaches and recommendations for consideration. As committed to in the Programme for Government, I have referred the report to the Education Committee as part of the process for formulating a plan for the future of the sector. This will ensure that all views can be heard and considered.

The Expert Group examined arrangements for funding higher education internationally. The spectrum of different funding approaches was set out in the discussion paper published by the Group in November 2015 and which is available on my Department's website. The paper also considered countries which operate a system of tuition fees supported by student loans such as Australia, England and the Netherlands. The Group consulted and considered the applicability of the different approaches in the Irish context.

I do not want to pre-empt the Education Committee's work or discussions in this regard, but the analysis and consideration of the different options put forward in the Group's final report will provide a solid basis for further engagement on this issue.