Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022
89. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students from Northern Ireland enrolled in further and higher education in each of the years since 2010 to date in tabular form; his plans to further investigate the mobility of students in the Common Travel Area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6383/22]
View answerThe data sought by the Deputy with regard to further education is detailed in the table below:
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
|
Number of Enrolments: |
178 |
300 |
14 |
It refers to the period 2018 to 2020. SOLAS hold no data on the number of students from Northern Ireland enrolled in Irish Further Education Institutions for prior years. My Department is currently liaising with the Department of Education to ascertain what data may be held and I will revert to you on this matter shortly.
Turning to higher education, I attach a table, based on data collated by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). It refers to each academic year since 2010.
|
Full time / Part Time Year |
Full-Time |
Part –Time |
|
2009/201 |
903 |
264 |
|
2010/2011 |
800 |
249 |
|
2011/2012 |
769 |
200 |
|
2012/2013 |
767 |
216 |
|
2013/2014 |
730 |
310 |
|
2014/2015 |
762 |
311 |
|
2015/2016 |
951 |
248 |
|
2016/2017 |
955 |
206 |
|
2017/2018 |
1065 |
263 |
|
2018/2019 |
1003 |
399 |
|
2019/2020 |
1124 |
464 |
|
2020/2021 |
1154 |
470 |
One of the core objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding which I signed with UK Secretary of State for Education in July of last year, was to maintain and enhance the student flows between Ireland and all part of the UK. However, while the statistics are at best static, we need to get a better understanding of these trends - undergraduate versus postgraduate, location and programme of study etc. My officials are currently engaged with their counterparts in the UK, with a view to undertaking more detailed analysis of these trends.
