Written answers

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Third Level Education

Photo of Ruairi Ó MurchúRuairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

526. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to move to a unitary funding model that provides equal funding to the university and technological sector as part of a sustainable funding model for third-level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6643/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA designated higher education institutions. Funding is distributed via the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM) which utilises a 'two pot' system.

In 2016, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) appointed an independent Expert Panel to review the current allocation model for funding higher education and to make recommendations on the most appropriate funding model for the future. The completed review recommends reforms to the HEA funding distribution model. A key recommendation was that (in principle) the future funding model should adopt a universal approach to supporting all higher education institutions facilitated by the development of a Costing Model applied consistently across Higher Education Institutes.

The implementation of a reformed allocation model is dependent on implementation of a sustainable funding model.

My Department's Statement of Strategy contains a commitment to put in place a sustainable funding model for the higher education. This is essential in ensuring that our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and performance, and achieve critical outcomes for our economy and society.

In this regard a comprehensive economic evaluation of the funding options presented in the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education (2016) was commissioned under the European Commission's Structural Reform Support Programme. The key aim of this review was to investigate methods of increasing the sustainability of higher and further education provision in Ireland, including an examination of the funding options. The Department has commenced its examination of the report's analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations, and is developing proposals which will be brought to Government as we seek it’s support for a sustainable future funding model and transformed FET and HE sector as contained in the Statement of Strategy.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.