As a Senator on the university panel, I wish to point out that between 2022 and 2024, our universities took in more than 10,000 additional students of whom 9,000 have arrived without the additional funding. I ran for the Seanad two years ago and one of my campaign messages was that universities should be properly funded. I certainly stand over that. I also see that education is the future of our youth. I know that since 2022, the Government has funded the gap, which was underfunded by €307 million per year. Budget decisions have cut the gap by more than half but university chairs are saying that they need extra funding as the deficit is over €250 million per year because pay awards are not fully funded and student numbers keep rising. State funding per student is around €8,000, which is 30% lower in real terms than in 2008.

I acknowledge the hard work of lecturers, research staff and everybody who carries that load. As we can see, the universities have not stood still. They have raised funds through philanthropy, loans and even the immigrant investor programme and the microcreds programme, and have brought in 600 more courses and reached over 20,000 learners. The Irish Universities Association is asking for an increase of €190 million in core funding in budget 2027 and that part of the near €2 billion surplus in the National Training Fund be unlocked for lifelong learning and reskilling. Our universities contribute over €10 billion per year to the economy. University chairs are warning that if that investment does not come, within ten years, FDI will go elsewhere so there is certainly a need for that. I ask that the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science comes to the House for a debate on university funding before then. I ask the Leader to use his offices to make that happen.