Written answers

Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Third Level Education

Photo of Patrick CostelloPatrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will meet with an organisation (details supplied) to discuss workers' rights for PHD students studying in Ireland to bring them in line with countries such as Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands. [12783/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Officials in my Department have been undertaking am examination of the issues in relation to academic support activities of PhD students.  This has been done in collaboration with the Irish Universities Association  and Technological Higher Education Association and the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education.

This work includes looking at international practice and gathering information on the institutions’ expectations of PhD students to undertake academic support activities across the higher education system.

Building on this initial work, I wrote to the Presidents of the HEIs requesting that they undertake a sectoral exercise to agree a set of high-level principles to which all institutions can work towards. As part of this I am proposing that they undertake a gap analysis to determine the next steps in progressing towards greater consistency and transparency in arrangements for postgraduate researchers, in advance of the next academic year. I have also written to the sector’s representative bodies, the IUA and THEA, requesting that they work in close partnership to ensure that the pathways scoped out allow for convergence of approaches across the entire higher education sector.

I will be seeking regular updates on progress with this work at meetings of the National Advisory Forum for Ireland’s Framework for Doctoral Education.

I would be happy to hear from the Postgraduate Workers Alliance and receive a submission from them on these matters.

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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88. 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. [12745/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am committed to resolving the issue of the funding model for higher education as a matter of priority. This is essential in ensuring that our higher education institutions can effectively meet high standards of quality and achieve critical outcomes for our economy and society.

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.

I will be bringing forward a proposal on a funding model to Government, which will be implemented as part of forthcoming Budgets. Implementation will entail the sector delivering strengthened performance and enhanced outcomes, based on a robust reform agenda.

This approach will be informed by the comprehensive economic evaluation of funding options which has been carried out under the auspices of the European Commission's Structural Reform Support Programme.

I brought this matter to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Recovery shortly before Christmas. This allowed the key issues to be explored. It was agreed that both I and my Department would engage with Minister McGrath and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to inform Government's consideration, in particular undertaking technical work to update costings reflecting relevant funding decisions in Budget 2022 and other issues, which is nearing finalisation. This work has sought to robustly assess the assumptions underpinning the economic evaluation and to take account of the significant levels of State funding which have been invested in higher education and student support in recent years.

It’s my intention to bring final proposals for funding and reform of higher education arising from this work to Government very shortly. I am very clear that, from a policy perspective, addressing the sustainability of the higher education system must proceed in tandem with measures which address the costs of education as a barrier to accessing higher education.  We need to focus on both if we want a system that can be accessed by everyone and that can deliver the talent and skills that our country needs.  With that in mind, I will also be bringing the review of the Student Grant Scheme to Government at the same time.

The new funding and reform framework will be provided to the Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, following Cabinet consideration and will be published along with the DG Reform sponsored economic assessment report on sustainability of higher education and the SUSI review.

There have been many reports on Higher Education Funding over the last number of years, and my goal is not simply to publish the economic assessment but for Government to make big decisions that will allow for a multi-annual, inclusive process implementation process to commence. The implementation process will allow for important input from stakeholders and provide much needed momentum on the implementation of key decisions that will guide funding and reform of the Higher Education sector in the years ahead.

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