Rose Conway-Walsh on CASELS: Urgent Action Needed for Third-Level

The President, as we speak, the independent economic evaluation carried out on behalf of the European Commission into the CASELS report is sitting on the desk of the Minister for Further and Higher Education. As you know, the CASELS report was completed five years ago and laid out three options of how to address the chronic underfunding in third level. I noted earlier on when you said third level investment was a key factor in attracting FDI and economic development and I absolutely agree with you. But since then successive governments have avoided addressing the issue of underfunding at third level. In real terms colleges get 50 per cent per student less than in 2008 and at the same time fees have increased from €850 to €3,000. We have spent less on research and development as a percentage of GDP and of public expenditure every year since 2011. The CASELS report made clear in 2016 what action was needed and presented three options for how this could be funded. A lot of questions there. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I would have thought to the Minister for Education. I am multitasking all the time. Deputy Mayor O'Rear Dawn raised the issue in terms of the free schoolbooks. I would genuinely need to talk more about this if I am honest. I think targeting of resources is still very important in terms of children who need additional supports in socioeconomic disadvantaged areas. It is the old argument about universality of provision versus targeted provision to those who need it the most and those under lowest of incomes. And given the multiple needs in our education system, I have no issue with increasing the number of schools. But I think there is a value in saying around the thresholds and can we look after other children on other fronts as well in terms of the variety of supports that they require from therapies right across. But I am open to engagement on it. Deputy Gannon raised the issue of the close contact tracing as to Deputy Boyd Barrett. I mean, public health advice is saying this. The government is not making this up. Deputy Murphy raised that. Sorry. And the clear explanation is in terms of the testing that has been done. Relatively low levels overall in terms of school children, around 6 per cent. And the public health have advised and to be fair to the Minister for Education and the Department of Education, they have adhered to public health advice all along the way in respect of this classroom of children. And they are certainly not risking children's health in terms of any actions that they take. And on the air monitors, again, that arose from a special advisory group that advised the Department of Education in respect of ventilation in schools and the utilisation of air monitors. They are not static. They are mobile. And it is about having, I think, up to 10, sorry, 25,000 air monitors would have been provided to the system, which is quite significant in itself as part of the broader return to school protocols. Deputy Boyd Barrett, again, I have given my views already in terms of the Clonkeen College and the Government does have lean on properties, on the physical buildings in respect of investments made in voluntary secondary schools. Deputy Barry raised the issue of the abolition of the Leaving Certificate. I do not agree with the abolition of the Leaving Certificate overnight at all. I believe in reform of it. I think there has been reform on an ongoing basis which has dramatically changed. The Leaving Certificate we sat in 20 years ago bears no comparison with the Leaving Certificate today. Deputy John Salinas. The Mauriceoline posted it on board here. Excuse me. I am only testing you Deputy Leahart. Ambassador Garciaис. Did you do honours, Max? You are always in your Notes. Now, the stehen-in ceas- lamented theambreقي. Deputy, Conway, Watch? to think through that. I don't agree with that. That would create mayhem overnight. We don't have the capacity to do that, nor is it necessarily the right thing to do. We need to provide a wide provision over time that people can access courses and modules and so on. And yes, take the urgency out of the leaving, sir, that it's to be all and end all, but rather create the road map for young people, that there is a route to where you want to go through the variety of colleges, from further education to higher education to modular-based education. That is the approach that we need to do. I've met with the Minister for Higher Education recently, Deputy Conor Walsh, in respect of the Cassell's report, and it has been given active consideration by the Minister, and he's engaging with other ministers and government as well in respect of how we roll that out and deal with that now. And obviously there's estimates and budgetary context to that. I don't believe it's because the government or the education department of the last 20-odd years, I mean, 20 is on my mind today, in terms of Grail, it's not all Blink and Bluff or genuine issues there, but I will ask for a report on that from the department's building unit, and I will come back to the deputy on it. Deputy Cahill Crowe, I'm not sure whether the schools have applied to the department or not, but I think you should engage with the Minister for Education. I think you've made a very fair point in terms of the broader issue around the town itself and the two schools needing either expansion or maybe a new plan for post-primary provision in Shannon itself. I will work with Deputy O'Sullivan. We've already, as you know, opened two new special schools this year, one in Cork and one in Dublin West, I think, as well. And I think the sites are crucial, City Council have made a site available, and I think, yes, we should push very hard with the Minister for Education to require that site for another special school. Deputy Morfey in terms of I think we have to go to question 10.