Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Feb 2001

Vol. 529 No. 3

Written Answers. - Third Level Education.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

163 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on the adequacy of places in third level education; if it is intended to increase the number or broaden the choices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2876/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The report of the review committee on post-secondary education and training of March 1999 concluded that the existing and planned investment in third level places would allow Ireland to meet the strategic objective of being well within the top quarter of OECD countries in relation to undergraduate provision for traditional school leavers. My Department has requested the Higher Education Authority, which has a statutory responsibility to monitor the demand for higher education, to keep this provision under review in the light of unanticipated skills demand, postgraduate needs and developments in competitor countries.

In response to the needs identified in the First Report of the expert group on future skills, measures have been put in place to address emerging skills needs in IT related areas. These include the allocation of £75 million for the provision of 5,400 IT related third level places, the provision of £6 million to facilitate the continuation of 1,500 places on postgraduate conversion courses in IT related areas and expansion of the accelerated technician programmes to include IT.

Measures have also been put in place to facilitate implementation of the main recommend ations of the second skills report, completed in March 2000, including the provision on a phased basis of an extra 1,150 degree-level places in the sciences. Significant growth has also been achieved in apprenticeship provision in the education sector, with total numbers increasing from 4,000 in the 1997-98 academic year to over 9,500 in the current academic year.

A key aim of the £550 million funding available to support and enhance third level research under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 is to provide additional places for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers. This will contribute to the development of a world class research environment in higher education in Ireland.

As the Deputy can see from the range of measures and initiatives I have outlined, the needs of the third level sector are constantly kept under review.