Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 March 2023
98. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is aware of the issues raised by the chief financial officer at University College Cork surrounding the funding of third-level universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15556/23]
View answerI am aware of the UCC Bursar/Chief Financial Officer's Report as included in the UCC Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2021 and note the matters raised in relation to sectoral funding.
In May 2022, I launched Funding the Future , a landmark funding and reform framework for higher education. The Government has now made important decisions about a sustainable model of funding for the higher education into the future. We have chosen a mixed model of investment, which includes funding from the Exchequer, employers and from students.
Under Funding the Future, a figure of €307 million was identified as representing the quantum of increase in core funding to the higher education sector which is required to deliver enhanced performance, strategic reforms and strengthened quality of outcomes. This will be advanced over a number of years through annual budgetary processes. Budget 2023 saw the first tranche of funding of €40 million delivered under the Funding the Future framework.
Overall, in 2023 we are investing €1.434 billion in recurrent grant expenditure to the higher education sector through my Department's B4 subhead and National Training Fund (NTF) Enterprise Focused provision.
The report of the UCC Bursar also references capital funding. The HEA in partnership with my Department launched the Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund (HESIF) with the objective of delivering high quality higher education infrastructure. Under the first round of funding, UCC was allocated €25m, of which €18.1 million was paid in December 2022.
The devolved capital grant provides flexible capital funding to support small-scale building works including health and safety works, access works, refurbishment, energy upgrades and equipment purchase or renewal. UCC has received almost €9 million in devolved capital grants from 2020 to 2022.
It is important to note that Government investment in the tertiary sector is not limited to the recurrent grant funding provided to higher education institutions directly. The budget for further and higher education, research, innovation and science totals €3.89 billion in 2023, just under 3.9% of the total national budget. We have grown our spend significantly since forming the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (from €3.59 billion two years ago) demonstrating the Government's commitment to helping the sector fully realise its potential in contributing to economic and societal priorities.
