merrion street

Pictured are Education Minister Richard Bruton, Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe, Brian David Henderson from Baon Diagnostics, Professor Brian Norton, President, Dublin Institute of Technology

Education Minister Richard Bruton and Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe today launched a public consultation process on a proposed Exchequer-Employer investment mechanism for higher education and further education and training, following a commitment in Budget 2017.

Minister Bruton said:

Our objective is to build a stronger further and higher education system that serves the needs of all students, enterprise and society more generally through high-quality teaching and learning, upskilling and reskilling, research and innovation, as well as supporting the most disadvantaged to participate in higher education as part of the overall goal of delivering the best education and training system in Europe by 2026.

The purpose of this consultation is to obtain the views of employers on a proposed funding approach which will contribute to the sustainable funding of the higher and further education system, alongside Exchequer investment and student contributions.

Minister Donohoe said:

In order to continue to reap the rewards as a society and as an economy from the advancement of our key asset, our human capital, we need to put in place a sustainable, equitable and predictable long-term funding model for the higher and further education and training sectors. The Exchequer has allocated increased expenditure on higher education in the Estimates for 2017 with further provision for demographic increases in the sector in 2018 and 2019.