Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 March 2025
44. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what will be done to address the annual funding gap of €307 million for higher education which had been identified by the previous Government in May 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14625/25]
View answerThe Funding the Future Framework published in May 2022, outlines the vision for how higher education will be funded and how this will support students, employers and wider society. The Framework identified an amount of €307 million as representing the quantum of increase in core funding required to deliver enhanced performance, strategic reforms and strengthened quality of outcomes.
Over a number of years, additional core funding is being prioritised through the Estimates process in order to deliver on the increased level of funding identified in this framework and to provide enhanced system capacity to respond to national priorities.
The enhanced higher education system performance to be delivered in return for increased investment under Funding the Future is to be aligned to strategic priorities defined in the framework, alongside parallel efforts to address the cost of education as a barrier to participation.
Over the three budgets since the publication of Funding the Future, an additional €164.4 million has been secured in exchequer and employer funding with a commitment to deliver a further €100 million by 2030 from the National Training Fund (NTF). The €164.4 million figure includes €58.7 million that was secured in Budget 2025 for Funding the Future.
The €58.7m in additional core funding secured in Budget 2025 will create space for higher education institutions to increase staffing levels and capacity, enable a greater alignment of provision with priority skills needs and facilitate the further development of tertiary programmes.
It is anticipated that further additional exchequer funding will be secured in future estimates processes to deliver on commitments, including on priorities such as healthcare places and tertiary programmes.
