Simon Harris has said Ireland’s higher education system has been let down by decades of “political cowardice.”

The Higher Education Minister said he is going to “finally make a decision” on funding for Irish colleges and universities early next year.

He said the European Union was currently considering an Expert Group report on Future Funding for Higher Education and was due to report back in January.

The Cassels Report made three main recommendations for third-level funding:

• Significantly increased State funding
• Slightly increased State funding with continued student contributions
• Student loans that are paid back after the student’s income reaches a certain level

On Breakfast Business this morning, Minister Harris said: “I am going to finally make a decision because I actually think political cowardice has hurt our higher education system.”

Asked whether his stance was hard on his colleagues in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, he said it was “harsh on absolutely everybody.”

“I don’t care what party jersey you have on,” he said. “Every single political party, north and south of this island, has actually let down people when it comes to properly funding higher education.

“I am going to get on top of it and that is why the Taoiseach set up this department.”

Cassels Report

He said he will be informed by the European Commission’s opinion on the Cassels Report but noted that he is leaning towards increased contributions from business and the Exchequer.

“I will be informed by it but what I can tell you is this, we are going to make the decision in 2021 and end decades of shirking this decision,” he said.

“I personally don’t like the idea of student loans. I don’t like the idea of letting somebody, particularly at undergraduate level, leave college heavily burdened.

“We have a system in this country which involves Exchequer funding but also actually businesses already pay a levy into the National Training Fund.

“I want to try and see how we can remove any financial barriers to undergraduate education.”

Funding

He said businesses are “already stumping up a fair amount” but noted that they have a lot to gain from an upskilled workforce.

“If we are producing the skills that businesses require plus the Exchequer funding, that is the model I will be leaning towards,” he said.

“But look, I can’t get ahead of myself. We need to get the report back from Europe in early 2021 and make a Government decision on it.”