Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The data sought by the Deputy with regard to further education is detailed in the table below:

	2018	2019	2020
Number of Enrolments:	178	300	14

It refers to the period 2018 to 2020. SOLAS hold no data on the number of students from Northern Ireland enrolled in Irish Further Education Institutions for prior years. My Department is currently liaising with the Department of Education to ascertain what data may be held and I will revert to you on this matter shortly.

Turning to higher education, I attach a table, based on data collated by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It refers to each academic year since 2010.

Full time / Part Time Year	Full-Time	Part –Time
2009/201	903	264
2010/2011	800	249
2011/2012	769	200
2012/2013	767	216
2013/2014	730	310
2014/2015	762	311
2015/2016	951	248
2016/2017	955	206
2017/2018	1065	263
2018/2019	1003	399
2019/2020	1124	464
2020/2021	1154	470

One of the core objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding which I signed with UK Secretary of State for Education in July of last year, was to maintain and enhance the student flows between Ireland and all part of the UK. However, while the statistics are at best static, we need to get a better understanding of these trends - undergraduate versus postgraduate, location and programme of study etc. My officials are currently engaged with their counterparts in the UK, with a view to undertaking more detailed analysis of these trends.