Calls for more public funding for third-level education

Ireland should move towards a European-style third-level education system which is funded mainly by the exchequer, an Oireachtas (parliamentary) committee has recommended, writes Carl O'Brien for The Irish Times.

Higher education is currently funded primarily through a combination of state funding, along with the €3,000 (US$3,030) student charge and taxes on employers.

However, the Oireachtas Committee on Education said that while philanthropic and private funding should be supported, the government should view third level as a state asset and fund it primarily through public funding. This would entail greater exchequer support and increased contributions from employers via the national training fund over the coming years. “Future funding of higher education should be based on the principle that it is a right for all citizens and a key investment in the future,” the committee report says.
Full report on The Irish Times site