Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 11 Feb 2015

Vol. 867 No. 2

Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed)

Question again proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am glad to contribute to the debate on this Bill, which I welcome. It has three basic strands, one of which is the internationalisation of education. This is a massive industry in Ireland and is estimated to be worth approximately €1 billion to the economy. The Bill will allow certain institutions to use the title "university" in their efforts to attract more students from abroad. There are plans to increase by 50% the number of students coming from abroad to study in Ireland. The existing number is 24,000 to 26,000. That is a welcome step and I am happy to support it.

Second, the Minister will have powers to prescribe post-leaving certificate, PLC, courses for the purpose of grant aiding those courses. That is a welcome development.

The third objective of the Bill is to amend the freedom of information legislation to exempt education and training board, ETB, schools from certain freedom of information regulations to prevent league tables of schools. Ordinarily, this would be contrary to my beliefs and I would be unable to support it. I understand that the reason for wishing to exempt them is to prohibit league schools and crude interpretation of data being presented by the media and so forth.

However, I must outline my further concerns at this stage. While the first strand relates to a growing sector at third level, which we all wish to support and see develop, and while I support the limiting of freedom of information in this instance, I feel very strongly about the need to open up our education system to more transparency as opposed to closing it down. I am interested in school boards of management, particularly primary school boards of management. The Minister and the House are well aware of my views in this regard. As a parent I am not entitled to get the minutes of the board of management meeting or to know what happens there. There is no transparency.

During the previous debate the House welcomed the nomination of Dr. Niall Muldoon, and I add my congratulations to Dr. Muldoon. I have dealt with him about this issue of boards of management, their lack of accountability and the frustration parents feel when they try to get answers from their school's board of management. It is interesting to note that the Ombudsman for Children's Office has received approximately 9,000 complaints since its inception, and 4,000 of them related to schools. That is a huge percentage of the grievances notified by people. We must look closely at the need and demand for accountability for the decisions and actions of boards of management and the impacts these decisions and actions have on the lives of school-going children and, indeed, the frustrations they are building up in their parents. Of the 4,000 complaints relating to school boards of management received by the Ombudsman for Children's Office, only a tiny percentage reached full resolution. That is an issue I discussed with Dr. Niall Muldoon in his previous capacity and I look forward to discussing it with him again in his new, elevated post. I again congratulate him on that.

I wish to make a final point. We are discussing exempting ETB schools from freedom of information regulations. While I am happy to support it in this instance and understand the rationale for it, I would have serious and grave reservations about any attempt to allow schools to keep information from people and passionately believe in the need to increase the information they provide. I take this opportunity to repeat my plea to the Minister to seriously consider establishing the position of an ombudsman for education. I ask the Minister to note that and respond to it in due course. I intend to progress it further with the Minister and the Department through our work in the education committee.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. An increasingly globalised world economy and outlook must be reflected in our education institutions and I welcome the objectives of this Bill in terms of paving the way for more international students to study in Ireland.

More Irish students should have an opportunity to study abroad and we should encourage more international students to come to Ireland to study at our third-level institutions. Preventing the creation of league tables is also worthwhile. The focus of such tables is much too narrow and does not reflect the real role of educators, which is to stimulate, challenge and open students to a world of possibilities, rather than simply focus on exam results or the proportion of students from a particular school attending university. Increasingly, our third-level education campuses are reflecting the globalised nature of our world and far too often in Ireland our focus is within the parameters of this State rather than on Ireland's place in a globalised world.

Currently, about 32,000 international students study in Ireland, thanks in part to intensive campaigns run by our universities all across the world. However, this figure could be greatly expanded in coming years. When one thinks that 4.3 million students are studying outside their country of birth, almost half of whom are studying in Europe, the figure of 32,000 looks meagre. Ireland is attractive to many international students because their studies are conducted through English. I have some concerns in relation to increasing the number of international students. These concerns relate to the integration and support of these students. Many students who come to Ireland from the US are on an intensive study programme which sees their weekends filled with trips to other European cities. This often creates a barrier in terms of them getting to know their fellow students. Likewise, students from countries such as China often have little contact with Irish students, to the detriment of both parties.

Sending a student abroad to study represents a very significant outlay for parents, whatever country they reside in. This in turn often places huge pressure on students to achieve and excel. We owe greater levels of support to these students and their parents during their time in Ireland, be that through mentoring, educational supports, counselling or chaplaincy services. I would like to see more emphasis on ensuring that international students who study in Ireland get a real appreciation of Irish life and culture and are more integrated into the student body at whatever institution they are studying.

Given the intention of increasing the number of international students coming to Ireland, I am not in favour of increasing fees for international students. This is a recommendation of the recent review of higher education. Instead of focusing on the revenue, we should be focusing on the experience of these students and examining how it compares to other countries. Many of these international students will go on to become leaders in various fields. We should be ensuring that their time in Ireland is enjoyable, educational and helps them develop as a person. In the long term, this will bear better fruit for Ireland than simply endeavouring to squeeze more money from their hard-pressed parents from whatever country they originate.

International students spend €1 billion in the Irish economy. Some 70% of this relates to international students and the remainder to English language students. We should focus on growing the number of international students through enhancing their experience in Ireland and building bridges with faculties and universities across the globe. One fifth of these international students are PhD students, which is above international norms, and greater emphasis should be placed on supporting these students and building relationships with them. Many of them will in turn go on to become university staff and decision makers as their careers progress. Alternatively, they will become developers of next-generation technologies or pharmaceutical advances. Ireland will have much to learn from their research.

China provides the largest cohort of international students at postgraduate level. We need to look in a more coherent way at marketing Ireland to Chinese students and their parents. Often the arrival of Chinese students results from intensive work by a particular institute of technology or university. While this is commendable, perhaps more can be done at a national level to prepare the groundwork in terms of making Ireland an attractive venue for Chinese students.

Particular emphasis must be placed on building relationships with universities in the United States. Ireland is one of the top ten destinations for US students studying broad. Given the strong historical links between the two countries, this is something that can be expanded upon.

Ireland has much to offer international students and much to learn from them. We should learn more about how the experience of studying in Ireland compares to other destinations for international students and aim to enhance their experience. Rather than making it a more expensive experience, we should be making it a more enriching experience. It is through enhanced experience and better learning outcomes for students that the number of international students studying in Ireland will continue to grow.

I welcome the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 which addresses three specific areas. It permits the Minister for Education and Skills to authorise some educational institutions to describe themselves as universities outside of the State. It amends the Education Act 1998 so the Minister can refuse access to specific information which could be used to create league tables of schools. These would be tables based on narrow criteria and which would not take into account the overall approach of a school. It amends legislation so as to ensure the student grant scheme applies to post-leaving certificate courses.

On the first point, which concerns international students and the use of the term "university" by some third-level institutions, the programme for Government has committed to harnessing the benefits of an increased uptake in third-level courses by international students. As part of the 2013 Action Plan for Jobs, the Department of Education and Skills conducted a review of our international education strategy. Following on from that, a number of measures have been taken including the introduction of a new brand, Education in Ireland, managed by Enterprise Ireland, the establishment of a new Government of Ireland scholarship and the introduction of an international education marketing fund to attract greater numbers of students to Ireland.

This strategic approach is vital. It has characteristics of the successful approach of the IDA in terms of job creation and attracting investment. The IDA has pursued policies focused on hubs, centres of excellence and innovation. Today's figures show the success of these policies. In Galway for example, last year the IDA supported 63 companies with over 13,862 jobs. These figures are the highest in seven years and now eclipse the performance prior to the recession.

The legislation is broadly welcome in that it will encourage third-level institutions to compete further on the global stage. Greater numbers of international students lead to greater links across the world for our third-level institutions and greater opportunities for Irish companies in terms of innovation and trade.

However, I have a number of concerns. The legislation is very specific. It will not apply to institutes of technology which are delegated permission from the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority to award qualifications. I am sure the Minister and the officials at the Department have specific reasons as to why this is the case. However, I feel it represents a missed opportunity. Institutes of technology are also faced with intensified competition on an international basis, which has encouraged a number of institutes to work together. For example, GMIT, Letterkenny IT and IT Sligo have formed a strategic partnership, the Connacht-Ulster Alliance, with the aim of achieving the criteria required for designation as a technological university. The Government should work with the institutes in their efforts to compete. I hope the legislation will not undermine the efforts of the institutes of technology to develop and grow and ultimately provide greater choice for Irish students and students from abroad.

I am also concerned about the sudden closure in recent months of several English language schools or colleges. Internationalisation of further or higher education brings benefits to not only the students but also communities, industries and the wider society. However, conversely negative experiences can be detrimental to our international reputation. While I do not wish to apportion blame, when a school or college closes suddenly, leaving students out-of-pocket and in some cases stranded, it reflects poorly on the country and our reputation, as we all know. The Government needs to examine and review the operation of private institutions, particularly if, and it is a slim chance given the conditions laid out in the legislation, the term "university" can be acquired for use outside the State.

Another feature of this Bill concerns post-leaving certificate courses. Section 8 of the Bill is important in that it will amend section 7(1)(d) of the Student Support Act 2011 and provide a basis for the Minister to make a post-leaving certificate course eligible for support under the grant scheme.

Attending university, with its highly academic approach, does not make the best use of every individual's skill potential. Other approaches which emphasise skills and technical crafts are more suited to some school-leavers. It is worth noting that in other countries there is greater balance in terms of academic focus and skills focus. The creation of SOLAS by the Government is a welcome reform and one which I hope will increase access and enhance outcomes. It is therefore welcome that this Bill ensures that courses provided or regulated by SOLAS will be eligible for student grant purposes.

I welcome the initiatives in the Bill and hope the concerns I have raised are taken on board or further explored.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important Bill. In our programme for Government, we clearly set out with an ambition: "To encourage more international students to study here and to create new jobs in the sector". In addition, we aimed to double the number of students from areas outside the European Union and in particular from emerging markets. International students are a very important part of our education community. Not only do they provide much needed funds, they also bring with them their own culture to the college or university they attend. Nowhere is this more evident than in Dundalk Institute of Technology, which is home to over 5,000 students and lecturers. It has students from all over the world, including China and the United States. It is great to see many nationalities studying together in Dundalk Institute of Technology. It is a great asset to County Louth and, in particular, Dundalk.

We in County Louth have been very successful in attracting direct foreign investment, so much so that one in every ten jobs created by IDA-backed companies now comes to the county. Last week, I had the great pleasure of announcing that SalesSense is creating over 100 new jobs in Dundalk. When I spoke to Ger Teahan of SalesSense, I was most struck to hear that one of the company's main considerations when deciding on the location of the new jobs was the availability of a skilled and educated workforce in the Dundalk area. It was noted that the presence of Dundalk Institute of Technology was a major factor in this regard.

In Ireland, we know better than anyone that education is the foundation of any skill-based economy. We must protect and support our education system. The Bill before the House is important for the future development of that system. Among other things, it proposes to make provision for certain education providers to apply for authorisation to be described as a university outside the State for specified purposes, thereby supporting the policy of internationalisation of higher education in Ireland. It also proposes an amendment that would allow the Minister to refuse access to certain information. The purpose of this amendment, which will exempt schools run by education and training boards from freedom of information law, is to stop the publication or creation of school league tables. Like the Minister, I am totally opposed to the publication of such tables as they do not represent a true picture of how schools work with their students. For a large number of students, getting a C in ordinary level maths requires the same hard work and dedication as a student getting an A in higher level maths. If we use league tables for schools, the work and commitment of a student getting a C in ordinary level maths will not be reflected properly when compared to a student getting an A in higher level maths.

This morning, I had a look at OECD figures that set out the percentage of international students in third level education in various countries. Australia, where 20% of all students come from abroad, was at the top of the list. Ireland was 12th on the list, with just over 6% of all students coming from another country. This is an area in which I feel we can greatly improve. As I said earlier, Dundalk has seen the many advantages of large numbers of students from other countries attending Dundalk Institute of Technology. I believe the Bill before the House will consolidate and strengthen Ireland's position as a world-class provider of third level education.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill, which relates to a huge amount of issues. When I raised certain matters regarding the institutes of technology in Cork and Tralee on Topical Issues earlier this afternoon, it was the first engagement I had across the floor of the House with the Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, since she was appointed to this position. I wish her well. We served together on the Joint Committee on Education and Science in a previous Dáil. I know she has a great grasp of education issues. I wish her well in her role as Minister for Education and Skills.

The matter about which I spoke earlier on Topical Issues, which is one of many education matters I could highlight, is relevant to this Bill as well. Staff members and education partners need to be on the same page in all educational settings, including preschools, primary schools, post-primary schools and third level colleges, when changes are being discussed. While I do not want to repeat the points I made on Topical Issues, I reiterate that there is a need to engage with staff members before any changes are contemplated. The unions are very strong on this. As I said earlier, the Minister should use whatever powers are available to her to ensure they are brought on board. As we proceed with new initiatives that relate to a whole raft of educational issues, we must ensure all the partners and participants in education - the children, the students, the parents and the staff members - are engaged in the process

We have had a very good education service in this country over the years. I appreciate that many people would criticise certain aspects of it. I suppose we have put in store an awful lot in relation to our education services. In the 1950s, a Minister opened 129 vocational education schools in one term as Minister for Education. I think any Minister would like to repeat that. This shows the stock that was put in. At a later stage, the introduction of free education by the Minister's forerunner from Limerick, Donogh O'Malley, allowed a huge number of people from my generation to blossom and prosper.

I would like to deal with a number of issues in the educational sector. A previous speaker mentioned the voluntary work that is being done at board of management level. When issues develop in some cases, boards of management seem to be isolated from the Department of Education and Skills and are seen as atomic units on their own. We need to look at how we can provide greater support in such cases, which are few and far between. I appreciate that the Department provides training and advice, but when conflict arises I think it should be quicker to directly empower the boards of management of all levels that are doing massive work and should not be left on their own.

My own locality in Kanturk recently enjoyed a great honour when two students from a local school, Coláiste Treasa, won the young scientist competition. The project for which the students in question, Ian O'Sullivan and Eimear Murphy, won the competition was entitled "Alcohol consumption: Does the apple fall far from the tree?". A huge volume of work went into this innovative and thought-provoking project, the success of which led to various celebrations in Kanturk and Castlemagner recently and has caused many people to think. Eimear and Ian have received expressions of interest about the project and what was entailed in it from right across the spectrum. There is a huge volume of interest in it. The title of winner of the young scientist exhibition, which has been in existence for 51 years, is very coveted at this stage. People who have won it have gone on to excel in various fields. It was great to see it coming to Duhallow, to Kanturk and to north Cork. I congratulate the winners and the principal and staff members at their school, Coláiste Treasa in Kanturk. I do not doubt that Eimear and Ian, as well as their teachers and parents, put in a huge pile of effort right over the Christmas period to make sure that project was ready. I know the Minister was there on the night when the presentation was made. I suppose they are the good sides of it and the major sides of it.

I would like to discuss the fundamental issue of how the junior certificate is to be marked. I think we need to uphold the integrity of the junior certificate. Given that the primary and group certificates were abolished in times past, do the proposed changes to the junior certificate mean that we intend to dilute the system all the way and keep people in school forever? I think the Minister needs to take a hands-on approach to this issue. There is a need for meaningful discussion in this regard. While exam reforms can be organised within the sector, the integrity of the junior certificate exam itself must not be in question because it is vitally important as we go forward.

The issue of career guidance is causing major concern. I recently organised a career guidance seminar in Kanturk, County Cork. I brought in experts from the universities, the career guidance sector and the training boards who willingly gave massive advice to parents, children and pupils. We need to make sure a proper career guidance service is provided within the school system. The decision to look at career guidance when cutbacks were being made was a retrograde step. The work of guidance counsellors now entails a massive amount of other stuff. Secondary school students, in particular, need more guidance. There is more pressure on them with cyberbullying and everything else.

The Joint Committee on Transport and Communications conducted a report on the matter some time ago. There are no real safeguards against cyberbullying. It is a new issue coming to the fore. Career guidance in second level schools is probably one of the most important services that a school can make available to children and the Minister should reconsider the issue. If there is to be real reform of the system, career guidance services need to be enhanced. Well-off people will be able to pay for private career guidance whereas the children who are suffering and the parents who are under financial pressure, be it due to high mortgages or low or no incomes, cannot access that service. Figures have been quoted in this regard. Some people in the private sector are doing a considerable amount of work and providing important advice, but we must ensure that the ordinary student going through the system can also get that advice from the State.

Historically, we have always challenged the education system. It used to be for the elite in boarding schools and parents who had money. There was an affluence to education. Vocational education schools were established in the 1950s, followed by free education, breaking the old system quickly. These changes allowed people from all backgrounds to be educated, but any current analysis might highlight an issue with children attending third level.

Between 15% and 20% of people are not engaging with the education sector, be they parents or children. They work in deprived areas of cities and of towns and villages in rural areas and may have had difficult family backgrounds. The Minister meets such people at constituency level, as does every Deputy. We try to advise and encourage them, but we must consider what the next level of education should be.

The Bill's awarding of international status to universities is to be commended, as it allows us to market our expertise. We have excelled in all fields. Many of the best companies in the world are headed up by Irish people, but what is the next level of education? What should we as a nation be doing? There is a bracket of people who are not engaging in education. Is it that they place no worth or belief in the system? Is it because they do not have the confidence to engage? Is it because the system has become so streamlined that, if one is outside the box or presents a challenge, one will not engage? As a society, we should consider this matter, because it is the real challenge facing the sector.

Of course there are issues with special needs and disabilities, but a significant amount of work has been done on that front in the past 15 or 20 years. For example, special needs assistants have been put into classrooms and there has been mainstreaming. When the Minister was on the education committee with me, we did a great deal of work on mainstreaming. The UK and other European countries tried it with a view to determining how far it could be taken. In Ireland, many autism units have been built on to primary schools, for example, the unit attached to St. Joseph's Foundation and located at Liscarroll national school in north Cork. However, more work needs to be done. Every family with a child with special needs wants the best possible service for that child. We should consider how to provide that holistically. I work as closely as I can with St. Joseph's Foundation in Charleville, County Cork. Of all the projects I have seen, it does an incredible job on a voluntary basis, but funding is an issue. I will revert to this point.

SNAs are handled by the Department of Education and Skills and the escorts from bus services are handled by the Department of Health, HSE south or, if the children attending schools in Cork are from the Limerick area, HSE mid-west. Often, people must go through a raft of bureaucracy. There is no one system. Parents are exasperated trying to get the best possible service for their children because of the multiplicity of agencies. The process needs to be streamlined significantly. In the majority of cases, the outcomes of these services can be excellent, but occupational therapies and so on need to be more streamlined.

Funding under sections 38 and 39 presents a major issue for St. Joseph's Foundation. In other bodies' cases, the entire deficit is paid by the HSE. In the voluntary sector, good people set up bodies. Dr. Martin O'Donnell, father to Deputy O'Donnell of Limerick, set up the foundation. He was a visionary to do so. Mr. Eamon McCarthy, Mr. Conor Counihan, its chief executive, and all of its staff have done excellent work. However, because it was set up as a voluntary body and has a different line of funding, it must carry its own deficit. This matter should be examined.

I welcome the Bill, but I would like the Minister to consider my Topical Issue matter regarding the staff of both institutes. We have a proud education service and have done well on that front. It has empowered many people, be it in the 1950s, 1960s or later. We have built significantly on that progress. If one is academic, one can achieve greatly, although there are issues with low-income families being unable to access third level education. In some areas, as many as 20% of people do not engage with the education system at all, attending school for only two or three days per week or missing weeks for a raft of family reasons, but the State is only using sticking plasters and helping individual families. This is a major issue.

It is also time that we found a sensible solution to the question of the junior certificate. We cannot dilute the great achievements of the leaving and junior certificates.

As to the matter of career guidance, cyberbullying and mental health in schools are issues. People who do not have money or resources must be afforded proper guidance.

I am delighted that an amalgamated school in Kanturk, County Cork, has reached the planning permission stage. The process has been under way for many years. I pay particular tribute to Canon Jackie Corkery, who has done amazing work decently, honestly and across the political spectrum in the past six or seven years to bring the project to fruition. Everyone has worked with him and I hope that there will be no further delays. He dealt with the project fairly, openly and above reproach and I salute him for how he brought it together after the deluge of volatility that occurred before him.

I commend the Bill and wish the Minister well in her role.

As there is nobody present from the Technical Group, I will move back to the Government speakers. Deputy Conaghan is first and I understand he is sharing with Deputy O'Donovan. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I wish to refer to proposed adjustments in some of the grant structures for students of the former VEC sector. This sector is generally referred to as the further education sector, and many of the old technical schools are now known as colleges of further education.

The old vocational education sector in Ireland had its roots in 19th century mainland Europe. Countries like Germany realised that if the new economies born of the industrial revolution were to thrive, flourish and prosper, specific education and training programmes would be required for younger people. Technical schools then evolved and developed. They were schools with one foot in the classroom and one on the factory floor. The vocational system straddled that hinge between education and work, successfully preparing people to leave one environment and operate in another.

In Ireland, some of the earliest examples of these new technical schools were at Bolton Street and Kevin Street in Dublin. These colleges are now centrepieces of the Dublin Institute of Technology. The principle of education and training with practical applications was a strong belief and feature of the curriculum and syllabus of these colleges.

In Dublin city, there are currently as many as 22 old technical schools that now operate as colleges of further education. They are very successful. I will refer to one in my district, of which I have been a board member for a long time, which is the Ballyfermot College of Further Education. It sought to involve local youngsters in getting access to the film industry. That college has literally rewritten the script for a whole new genre of film making. The home of animation is now in Ballyfermot College. At the Oscars, its work was well recognised with awards to Tom Moore.

Interestingly, up to 20 of these colleges of further education - the old technical schools - are located in working class areas. They are in places like Ballyfermot, Finglas, Cabra, Crumlin and Inchicore. Students are flocking to these institutions which provide some of the most exciting aspects of education in Dublin today. I say this having worked in the education sector as a teacher for some 30 or 40 years.

Young working class males are engaging with such colleges at a great rate. These colleges are full of lively young people who create a buzz, and people want a piece of that action. They see it every day on the streets around the colleges and so they want to be a part of it. The colleges are adapting programmes to engage with young people. These youngsters would not normally have attended college and they do not have the financial means to support their desire to engage in education. Nonetheless, they are flocking to such colleges, so they require all the support they can get.

That is why I am delighted to see that a small but important subsection of this Bill promotes the idea of a grant system being extended and modified so that students in working class communities may avail of it. These are people who have almost been excluded from further education, not officially but by other means. All around this city, however, from Finglas, Coolock, Ballyfermot, Inchicore and Crumlin, participation rates in colleges of further education have risen dramatically. That is down to two things: financial support and the relevance of courses.

The Minister is well aware of what is going on in the education sector and she is supportive of the colleges to which I have referred. I would like her to visit institutions such as Ballyfermot College of Further Education to see all the innovations in film animation which are very exciting. That extraordinary success story has gone from Ballyfermot to Hollywood on five occasions in the past 15 years.

Students from all over the world are queuing up to get in there, including Switzerland, Spain and many other European countries. That is because of the prestige the college has established as the place to be if one wants to work in that particular genre of film making.

I generally support the Bill and commend the Minister's work on reforming the junior certificate. She is a hard working Minister who will long be remembered after her days in Dáil Éireann.

I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution on this Bill. I acknowledge the presence of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who is from my own county. It is generally accepted that she is doing a very good job in the Department and I wish her well in that role.

The Bill refers to the internationalisation of education and focuses primarily on third level in that respect. As I have told the Minister and her predecessor, however, I think the Government should be looking at internationalisation at a much earlier stage. This is particularly so, given the high level of interest that has been shown in Ireland by parents of young students who seek an opportunity to spend time in Irish secondary schools. Apart from the cultural impact it currently has on the school community, there is also an obvious economic benefit to be derived from students coming from abroad, either within the EU or outside it, to attend our second-level schools for short, fixed periods. It provides a major economic benefit for families across the country.

When I started in college after doing the leaving certificate, we lived in digs which was an economic benefit for the families we stayed with. Albeit unintentionally, it was a major advantage to the women who looked after such third-level students. The woman of the house who looked after me did so very well and I turned out all right, the Acting Chairperson might admit.

There is an opportunity to examine that concept for overseas second-level students. It is of benefit for such students who will be exposed to English as well as being immersed in our culture. There is also a benefit to the wider school community in hosting students from different cultures, backgrounds and religions. The more we expose our young people to cultural diversity, the better off we will be for it. It will also avoid difficulties in the future. In addition, there is an economic benefit.

I hope the Department of Education and Skills will examine developing a strategy with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Justice and Equality, because there are visa issues facing students from non-EU countries, particularly from those states with which we do not have visa arrangements. There are major opportunities - we speak English and are an inoffensive country. We have not colonised anybody or tramped across the world causing problems. We are liked internationally and we should use that to our advantage.

The briefing document circulated by the Department of Education and Skills stated that Enterprise Ireland is a cornerstone of what the Minister is trying to achieve. This is not only about educational benefits, but also about an obvious economic benefit to this aspect of the Bill, as well as the wider use of education as something that can be exported. Every schoolchild or college student coming into Ireland is essentially an export and should be regarded as such.

Enterprise Ireland is promoting us in emerging states and reference has been made to the BRIC countries.

I am of the view that there is also potential in Hong Kong, in India among the emerging middle classes there, and in certain African countries. At present, there are moves to try to build capacity and develop a generation of individuals who will be able to lead those countries into the future. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a role to play in respect of this matter. Irish Aid has established capacity-building expertise over many years in respect of those who will serve in future governments in countries we are trying to assist. There may be a possibility that Irish Aid could bring students from programme countries to universities and colleges in this country. Those individuals could then be upskilled and exposed to what we do that works. Obviously, it is also important to expose them to things that do not work from both a governance and a governmental point of view.

The Higher Education Authority is the primary source of funding for the colleges to which the Bill refers. Representatives from the authority and from one of the colleges in question, namely, the National College of Art and Design, came before the Committee of Public Accounts recently and I was absolutely gobsmacked by what was revealed. At the meeting, it emerged that the college was not capable of producing a set of accounts for a period of five years and that the Higher Education Authority continued to pump money into it in any event. Whether the authority knew that the college's accounts had not been signed off is not relevant. The important point relates to the Higher Education Authority's ability to deal with a budget in excess of €1.2 billion allocated to it by the Department and voted on by us via the Estimates process which it is supposed to disburse among the colleges for which it has responsibility. I was left with many unanswered questions regarding whether those who work for the authority possess the proper competencies and skill sets to allow them to properly manage the spending of its €1.2 billion budget. While the National College of Art and Design was the focus of the Committee of Public Accounts at the meeting in question, I have no doubt that there are serious deficiencies with regard to how the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education and Skills liaises with constituent colleges that receive funding from the Department indirectly.

This is a major matter of concern and the Committee of Public Accounts is going to revisit it. The members of the committee were left with many unanswered questions regarding the number of colleges which have issues similar to those relating to the National College of Art and Design. I informed those present at the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts that if they were operating in the real world of business, their directors would have been struck off, the company would have been wound up and those involved could very well be facing the wrath of the law in the context of their ability to carry out their functions. However, there appears to be some sort of insulation which applies to institutions which derive their funding from the public purse. Small and medium business owners and, indeed, ordinary people are of the view that this is not acceptable. The Secretary General of the Minister's Department had a great deal to say on this matter when he was before the Committee of Public Accounts and I hope that there will be some follow through in respect of it.

Deputy Conaghan made a very important point with regard to further education. I accept that this is a legacy issue which the Minister has inherited but perhaps she might be able to take some action in respect of it as the economy recovers. I refer to the fact that there is no capital funding available for old technical schools which became colleges of further education. The Minister is aware of those at Abbeyfeale and Shanagolden, which are located near where she resides and which are doing excellent work. However, these institutions do not have access to capital funding. It is only with the goodwill of the local education and training board that they are able to carry out minor works. If we value these colleges in the same way that we value primary and second level schools, and the Higher Education Authority is well capable of looking after the university sector, then we need to recognise the fact that they are falling between two stools when it comes to capital works and physical infrastructure.

Regardless of whether one is attending university, primary school or preschool or whether one is four or 40 years of age, physical infrastructure is hugely important because it forms part of the environment in which teaching and learning takes place. I recently tabled a parliamentary question on whole-school evaluations and the number of schools about which inspectors had written reports detailing inadequacies. I was dumbfounded by the reply I received which indicated that there are only three such schools. I can think of three such schools within a five-mile radius of my home. Will the Minister consider the position in this regard, particularly as more money becomes available? The physical environment in which teaching and learning take place is extremely important, particularly for children or young people with learning difficulties who require stimuli, one of which can be the colour the walls are painted, who need space and who have requirements when it comes to their proximity to other children. All of that matters. If one is obliged to move, as I did on one occasion, eight children to allow a ninth to go to the toilet, it can cause a huge amount of upheaval. It is somewhat disingenuous that inspectors carrying out whole-school evaluations are expected to take a blinkered approach and focus only on what teachers and children are doing and ignore the physical environment in which they are operating.

What teachers and children are doing does not really tell the whole story with regard to what is happening in a school. I reiterate that this is a problem which the Minister inherited. In the days of plenty, when the main party in opposition was in government, action was not taken. I am not expecting action to be taken overnight now. However, we should put in place a plan to allow us to address this issue. The schools building programme captures part of this matter. If, however, whole-school evaluations were properly structured, it would strengthen the Minister's hand with her colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in the context of leveraging more money for the work in this area that is absolutely vital.

I recently met representatives from my local education and training board in respect of a school in Croom. I know the Minister has a particular interest in this matter. Following on from what Deputy Moynihan said with regard to Kanturk, it is extremely important that the school project in Croom proceeds. The proposed new school will probably be one of the largest, if not the largest, in the mid-west because it will cater for more than 1,000 pupils. The conditions in which the pupils are currently obliged to learn are appalling. The Minister has committed funding in respect of this project and her Department is fully behind it. The sooner the planning process is completed and the work commences, the better it will be for everyone involved.

This is a good Bill and I am of the view that there may be an opportunity to broaden its provisions in order that they might apply to second level students at some point. I wish the Minister well in her role.

The next speaker is Deputy Penrose. I understand he is sharing time with Deputy Conlan, who is not present. There are ten minutes in this slot but Deputy Penrose may have more time available to him if Deputy Conlan does not appear.

I requested a full 15-minute slot. In any event, I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014. I compliment the Minister on bringing forward this legislation. She has done a great deal of innovative work in her six months as Minister for Education and Skills and I have no doubt that she will continue to do so. Notwithstanding the stringent and straitened financial circumstances in which they have been obliged to operate, the Minister and her predecessor have done some tremendous work. The previous Minister did fantastic work in the context of the school building programme but the media has not focused on that fact. As part of that programme, large sums of money have been spent on providing new, additional or replacement school buildings throughout the country. I acknowledge the fact that my constituency of Longford-Westmeath has benefited from the programme. Many of those in the media seem to gloss over what has been done in this regard.

The rationale behind the Bill is to make it possible for education providers to apply to obtain the requisite authorisation for them to describe themselves as universities outside the State for specific purposes. The provisions of the Bill will apply only to education providers that are already authorised to make awards to at least doctoral degree level in the State and those awards must be recognised within the national framework of qualifications. In other words, they must be providing education at a level equivalent to that offered by our universities. In addition, a qualifying provider will be subject to external quality assurance by Quality and Qualifications Ireland. In effect, such providers cannot describe themselves as universities outside the State save for the purposes specified in the Bill. That is fundamental to the application of the legislation and it is important in the context of other matters that have arisen in recent months.

The Minister has the power to refuse to grant authorisation, and the reasons for this are set down in section 2. Provision is made for an appeal against any such decision, and the Minister can apply to the High Court for an injunction to restrain an education provider from describing itself as a university for any purpose while not so authorised or where authorisation was granted initially but where it was subsequently withdrawn. A comprehensive appeals mechanism is set out in section 5, and the procedural aspects that will apply are clearly delineated therein. I welcome this because one of the difficulties that often arises is that the details of appeals mechanisms are not properly set out in legislation. I am of the view that the independence of the appeals process is both paramount and sacrosanct.

One can understand that the thrust of the Bill is to facilitate the internationalisation of our education system. The professionalism, competence and integrity of those who work within the system are attributes which are renowned throughout the world. The Minister discovered that during her trips to China and-----

I apologise for interrupting but I misled the Deputy when I stated that he has only ten minutes. I understand he has a full 15 minute slot. He need not, therefore, go quite so fast in delivering the remainder of his contribution.

I have too much respect for the Acting Chairman to contradict her but I was aware of that fact.

Significant opportunities exist in Brazil, Russia, India and China, the so-called BRIC countries, in the area to which the Bill relates. These countries have large populations which are eager to secure the opportunities offered in the educational fields which obtain in this country.

This must be addressed quickly. It will result in significant opportunities and enormous benefits for the Irish economy if we focus on it. We are certainly opening up a new horizon. The Minister is affording the third level institutions a tremendous opportunity by way of this Bill, and I am sure they will grasp it with both hands.

Institutions that are not universities at present but that award degrees clearly wish to compete with counterparts in other countries to attract students from abroad. Of course, we are all well aware of and recognise the importance of these opportunities within a properly regulated environment. My colleague Deputy O'Donovan referred to issues that we have all been deeply concerned about in recent months. I acknowledge that the Minister has to review the legislation in the context of a recent court case, and I hope that is being attended to with great alacrity in the Department, because we do not want to see students being left without funds. The governance of the institutions has to be brought into focus. The last thing one wants to see is a television programme showing students left bereft of the moneys they have put in and without any education at all. It is very important to address this, and that is why it is important to provide the regulatory framework.

We have a reputation for educating fantastic teachers for the most part. Our initial teacher education courses have recently been extended and reconfigured to four years for a concurrent degree and two years for a professional master's degree in education for graduates with a level 8 degree. Moreover, the new teacher education programmes have recently been subject to a rigorous review and accreditation process with the Teaching Council, which is the statutory regulation and standards body for the teaching profession in Ireland. It is very good that there has been a review.

Consider the case of countries that need to build up their economies rapidly, as Ireland did as a young state. We need to and will continue to build our economy. Teachers need to have professional attributes in order to educate vast populations of children and other young people. Professionalism, competence and integrity are fundamental. These qualities are what our teaching profession has been credited with over many years. In many cases, it would cost developing countries less to send their students to countries such as Ireland than to build the number of third level institutions they need, particularly when they are trying to build their economies. Of course, they will always undertake that task and set about dealing with it so as to build up their own educational infrastructure. Nevertheless, there will be an opportunity over the next decade or so to ensure we are at the forefront in making the necessary provisions available to them.

This policy, which enables scholarships to be provided, is consistent with the UN goal for the next ten years to eliminate much of world poverty through education. Education is the best way out of poverty. This is recognised at UN and global levels. Ireland has played a significant role in the world in spreading the love of learning. The policy of enabling Ireland to promote its ability as an educator is well aligned with our resources and strengths.

Educational outcomes in Ireland are among the best in the world. I acknowledge that, notwithstanding that one often hears them being decried. Our education system bears up to comparison with any in the world. We have a very high secondary school completion rate and few early school leavers. Targeted interventions are reducing the number of early school leavers, and I hope this will continue. It is important that we continue to intervene to ensure that those who wish to drop out of education do not do so. In this regard, consider the change made by the Minister for Social Protection whereby young people get approximately €160 if they go back to school. I know some people who live beside me at home who have availed of this. It is great to see them back in school. They are delighted to be back in the education system again. That is a very positive development. Again, it is not widely acknowledged but, nevertheless, it is an important intervention.

Our outcomes in reading, mathematics and science are significantly above the international average and continue to improve. This is an area in which we were falling down a bit. Now we are back on the road to recovery. Well done to everybody concerned. The former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, focused on this area particularly.

Some 49% of those between 25 and 34 in Ireland have attained tertiary education, which percentage is significantly above the OECD average of 39% and the EU average of 37%. Fifty-one percent of those between 30 and 34 have attained tertiary education, by comparison with an OECD average of 40% and an EU average of 38%. We are placed third in the OECD and first in the EU in terms of participation and achievement rates.

Other countries look at our small island and ask why the Irish are such good teachers and learners. Let us not forget that this is part of our history and heritage. We were known as the island of saints and scholars. During the golden age of Irish learning, our missionaries, nuns, brothers and priests dedicated their lives to bringing education around the world. I remember a former brother teaching a recent world champion in the 800-meter run. In promoting Ireland as a nation of high-quality teachers we are, in effect, returning to our rich heritage. High teaching standards and high-quality teaching are the key to world-class educational outcomes. There is vast potential for our small nation, which has a high standard in education worldwide, to be the icon of the world and to share its knowledge of teaching and learning with other young countries and benefit mutually from this partnership. The potential of modern media and ICT for distance and blended learning makes this more possible now than ever before.

With regard to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the STEM subjects, substantial investment in teaching resources in our third level institutions enables us to compete for students worldwide in disciplines that are set to be the growth areas for employment in the future. This is another area of opportunity.

I congratulate Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin on his very forward-thinking board and staff at Athlone Institute of Technology. I am sure the Minister knows him. He has been in the vanguard of this thinking and development for many years and has built up substantial and important contacts across Asia, including in China and Japan. I am sure that everywhere the Minister goes abroad, the professor is almost there before her. He certainly has accompanied her. One need only look at the sports arena in Athlone to recognise what he has done. It can host European and world competitions. For everybody concerned, that is good. The Department of Education and Skills has played a role also.

The aforementioned initiatives have opened up significant avenues of advancement and opportunity. I am aware that in October 2014 the Minister concluded a successful trade mission to China in the company of senior staff from Enterprise Ireland and at least 12 of the higher education institutions. I understand a high-level joint working group with representatives of the Department of Education and Skills and the Chinese ministry for education will meet this year in Dublin, and I understand that various memorandums of understanding between the institutions were signed. Significant progress has been made, and we must acknowledge it. The Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, went to India in November on a three-day trade mission aimed at attracting Indian students to study in Ireland and to enhance collaborative projects between Ireland and the Indian higher education institutes. Fifteen of our higher education institutions, including all seven Irish universities, were involved.

Today I understand the Minister signed up on behalf of the Irish Government as the first lead partner for the major US study abroad initiative. We are ranked in the top 20 worldwide in terms of our higher education system, and we are all aware that significant financial challenges confront the sector, but we have worked extremely hard and diligently to achieve our status in respect of educational standards and achievements. I note the Minister approved the participation of Education in Ireland in Generation Study Abroad, an initiative of the Institute of International Education which aims to double the number of US students studying abroad by 2020. I am pleased to note that Education in Ireland, which is a division of Enterprise Ireland, represents all the universities and institutes of technology in addition to a number of private higher education institutes in this country. The aim of Education in Ireland is to promote international study opportunities in Ireland’s higher education institutions. We are developing future global relationships as part of a major focus, and this will certainly elevate our profile and attractiveness as a place to come as part of exchange opportunities for students.

I note that there is a proposed amendment to the student grant scheme that permits the scheme to apply definitively to PLCs and makes PLC courses eligible for grant aid under the higher education scheme. This is a very progressive step. Courses overseen by SOLAS, as the appropriate regulating authority, will now be able to secure grants. That is important.

Our links with the institutes of technology are important in terms of Irish companies and trade. I would love to have an institute of technology in Mullingar because there is a large appropriate area in Marlinstown industrial park. Notwithstanding the fact that it is only 20 miles from Athlone, the link is important.

As I stated at the outset, tremendous progress has been made by the Minister and her predecessor on the provision of new schools, notwithstanding the circumstances that obtain. A new school in Sonna is just about to be finished and a project in Curraghmore is about to start. We should note other examples in Coosan and Killucan, where I believe the Minister is visiting in a few weeks, and also Coláiste Cionn Torc secondary school and Loreto Convent in Mullingar. A host of schools are receiving replacement or additional classrooms, additional SNAs and resource teachers, and new primary teachers.

I hope that at the next budget the Minister might be able to start focusing on the pupil-teacher ratio. That is extremely important in the context of giving opportunity to young people. As they say in Gaelic, as translated, if one starts them young, they develop and go well. If one starts at the education, first one must have a comfortable environment. Those prefabs were grand. They were only an interim solution, but they become a long-term solution and then they become dilapidated and decrepit. It is difficult to go into them. One needs a warm enticing environment, even to participate. Likewise, one does not need an overcrowded class. I accept the pupil-teacher ratio is a budgetary issue but it would be important that the Minister would get an opportunity of tackling that.

As the chief proponent of the abolition of tuition fees in 1995, I played a big role in it. I certainly was central to it and was probably key in persuading the then Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dick Spring, and the then Minister for Education, Ms Niamh Bhreathnach, to abolish them. I am proud to have done so, notwithstanding that I myself did not need them to be abolished because I was very much under the income limit. What used to annoy me was that if an employee in Eircom or the ESB or a local authority worker did a bit of overtime, he or she lost everything. Commentators criticised the abolition of tuition fees stating some from the well-off areas were benefiting as well, but one would get ground down in bureaucracy and paperwork in trying to cut those out. That is why universality made it easier. Commentators are giving out that the registration fees have gone up and are now €3,000, but they are less than 30% of the cost of tuition. In England, one borrows the £10,000 and at the end of the course one has £40,000 or £50,000 to pay back. I stand over what was done here. The €3,000 can be hard got but at the end of the day, it is an awful lot less than €10,000 or €12,000. That is why the higher education sector and the universities are giving out hell. The State, over recent years, has not been able to give them enough funding to make up for the fees they are not receiving.

One should acknowledge that the abolition of fees is still important and we should be grateful for that decision. The level of participation has increased, although perhaps not as sharply as we would like. There is room for improvement. Nevertheless, that was an important decision and I stand over it. We should ensure that there are not any further increases in registration fees or anything else so as to allow the maximum number to get an opportunity to go to third level because that is now where it is at. Whereas 15 years ago one would get by on second level education, one now needs tertiary education, such as a primary degree, throughout the system when it comes to filling vacancies. I hope the Minister is not faced with any more increases in terms of registration fees in the forthcoming budget.

I thank the large number of Deputies who participated in the debate. I thank the Opposition parties for their indication that they will support the Bill. Amendments will be put forward, as indicated by Sinn Féin. I welcome the general support for the Bill.

The title, the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014, meant a wide range of issues were raised that are probably outside the scope of the Bill but, as always with a debate on education, there are issues about which Deputies have a lot of knowledge and passion, and these all are important issues. Deputy Penrose, in being the final speaker, widened the debate considerably, even talking about eradicating world poverty and the role of education in addressing inequality, not only in Ireland but in other parts of the world.

I will address some of the issues raised. A number of Deputies raised the importance of maintaining high standards. This is very much part of the central issue in the Bill, namely, the criteria provided in it for using the term "university". As Deputies have said, the criteria are robust. It is a high standard that has to be reached. Deputy O'Brien raised an issue that I want to clarify in that regard. The provisions of the Bill only allow use of the term "university" outside of the State.

The issue of having an international education strategy was raised by Deputy Cowen. I want to clarify that the current strategy is from 2010 to 2015 and we will be working on a new strategy to cover the period 2016 to 2020 during second half of this year.

A number of Deputies raised the issue of sustainable of funding. The last speaker, Deputy Penrose, strongly advocated for the retention of free fees for higher education in Ireland. We all fought hard for that, and Deputy Penrose had a central role in that regard. The previous Minister, Deputy Quinn, appointed an expert group in July 2014 to examine the future funding policy for higher education, and Mr. Peter Cassells is its chairperson. Mr. Cassells will report to me by the end of the year. We will be looking at the area of the sustainability of funding at higher education level.

On further education, the issue of ensuring that students in post-leaving certificate courses can qualify for student grants is an important element. Deputy Conaghan referred to that, as did other Deputies. We are putting this specific measure in the Bill to ensure that, under the establishment of SOLAS, PLC students will be able to qualify. I agree with what has been said about the importance of PLC colleges and the contribution they make. Deputy Conaghan referred to Ballyfermot and its former students' success at the Oscars. Deputy Moynihan referred to the success of Irish students and the winners this year of the young scientist exhibition. On the world stage, Irish students who succeed in the young scientist exhibition do particularly well.

I agree with a number of Deputies who referred to the importance of ensuring that students who come to Ireland from abroad have a good and positive experience. Deputy Penrose referred to the court case that has slowed down the measures the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and I are introducing to ensure there is high-quality provision, particularly in the English language programmes. We had originally intended to have those provisions in earlier but when the court case was taken, we had to delay the implementation. Notwithstanding the decision of the High Court, the need for reform remains as strong as ever and it is important to demonstrate that the Government will not be diverted from its objective of ensuring that we protect students from being brought to Ireland for purposes other than education and that we protect the reputation of Ireland as a place where students can come to learn. A revised draft strategy has been drawn up in terms of a response to the judgment together with a series of measures that will deliver on the reform agenda. We intend that the revised arrangements, when finalised, will be brought to Government for approval. The intention is that we will implement the original proposals to ensure that only the highest quality is acceptable and, therefore, that our reputation abroad is protected.

A number of Deputies referred to internationalisation of higher education generally. Deputy Finian McGrath gave us interesting figures. He stated there was a big increase in the number of PhD students coming to Ireland as international students and he also referred to the STEM subjects, to which other Deputies referred as well. We have, for example, a programme, called science without frontiers, which brings a lot of students in the STEM area to Ireland, and they go all round the country. They do not only go to the universities. They go to the institutes of technology as well.

I was going to mention briefly the issue of the technological universities, the south-east issue and the Cork IT-Tralee IT merger.

We dealt with the institutes of technology in Cork and Tralee in the course of the Topical Issues debate earlier. Deputy Halligan raised the issue of Waterford Institute of Technology. Deputies will be aware that I appointed Michael Kelly to lead the process of consultation with regional stakeholders, Government bodies, staff and students in both Waterford and Carlow. I reiterate that consultation is important because Deputy Michael Moynihan and others referred to the importance of consulting staff and everyone involved. There is an expert panel and clear pathways. There is transparency, and that has been the case from the start, in terms of what is required to reach the various steps on the road to becoming a technological university. Good communication is essential to the process. The importance of engaging with the various stakeholders is a message that has been conveyed by the HEA and the Department.

I will refer briefly to a few other areas raised by Deputies. We will return to the specifics on Committee Stage. Deputy Jonathan O’Brien raised issues about Student Universal Support Ireland. He intends to table amendments in that regard and we will get an opportunity then to discuss matters more fully. I have dealt with the issues raised by Deputy Finian McGrath and Deputy John Halligan. Deputy Patrick O’Donovan raised issues relating to second level education. We wish to encourage students at that level. Many of the issues raised relate to partnership. When I was in China, for example, memoranda of understanding were signed between institutions in Ireland and institutions in China. The same happened when the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, went to India. In some cases Irish students travel to those countries and arrangements are made whereby they spend a certain amount of time in both countries. It is very much a case of partnership. When I was in Shanghai, a number of post-primary school principals were present and there was a twinning between a school in Cork and one in Shanghai. A lot is happening at that level as well.

A number of other Deputies referred to regions, including Deputy Penrose, who referred to Athlone Institute of Technology. Deputy Seán Kyne spoke about the north west and Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick spoke about the north east. While the main focus has been on the areas where technological university status is being sought, it is important to stress the role of institutes of technology and other higher education institutions in the regions. Ballyfermot College of Further Education is another example of that, albeit at post-leaving certificate level.

We will tease out some of the specifics on the issues raised when we get to Committee Stage. Overall, we have had a good broad debate on a number of educational issues. I thank all of the Deputies for their support. Each of the three measures in the Bill is important in its own area. The measures will improve the situation in terms of international education with the opportunity to use the term “university”, in terms of clarifying access to grants for PLC students and, a measure that has received almost full support, namely, the fact that the information that is made available under freedom of information does not facilitate league tables. There is a general view that, overall, while some people might want it, the use of league tables has a detrimental effect overall in terms of the provision of education, in particular in terms of ensuring equality of access and that we do not in any way undermine the education system. I thank Members and commend the Bill to the House.

Question put and agreed to.
Barr
Roinn