Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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944. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there has been any change in a figure (details supplied); if so, the current funding gap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24155/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On May 4th 2022, the Government published Funding the Future, as part of the policy response to the independent report “Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland”, a comprehensive economic evaluation of the various funding options presented in the Cassells Expert Group Report (2016).

Funding the Futureidentifies that a mixed model be adopted as the sustainable funding model for higher education. This comprises a mix of Exchequer investment, employer contributions through the National Training Fund and student contributions. It identified a figure of €307 million, agreed between DFHERIS and DPENDPR, as representing the quantum of increase in core funding required to deliver enhanced performance, strategic reforms and strengthened quality of outcomes.

As an initial step, Budget 2023 delivered €40m additional funding, aligned to Funding the Future. It is intended that over a number of years, further additional core funding will be prioritised through the Estimates process, while taking account of the Government’s budgetary and fiscal stance. It should be noted that the figure of €307 million was calculated relative to a particular point in time and does not include funding required for future requirements such as future pay agreements or demographics-related expansion.

Work is ongoing through the Funding the Futureimplementation structures to identify and measure the reform impact of increased core investment against the background of an evolving higher education system.