Minister Harris' address to Teachers Union of Ireland Congress 2023

Check against delivery

Dia dhuit a chairde. Good afternoon to you all.

It is a pleasure to be with you here today in Cork at your Annual Congress, and I wish to thank the General Secretary and Executive for their invitation.

I genuinely welcome this opportunity to meet and speak with you for the second year in a row.

This provides me with an opportunity to say a personal thank you to the TUI membership for all the hard work, flexibility, dedication and cooperation you continually demonstrate.

Recent years have seen our country and the education system repeatedly challenged in ways nobody could have foreseen – the COVID pandemic, people displaced as a result of war in Europe, a cost of living crisis and cybersecurity threats.

Working together, we have been able to respond to these challenges.

I know it hasn’t been easy and I know we are still grappling with these issues, but when I think about what has been accomplished, I am confident that – together - we can progress and deliver on a reform of our tertiary sector that benefits the student, the staff member and indeed, the country.

I also have to say the TUI have been pragmatic and gracious with their time as we have worked together to build a third level education system that suits the learner.

Together, we have established five new Technological Universities.

Together, we have created new pathways to university education.

While we have much more to do, we have worked together to change the system for the better.

But of course, we have much more to do and I want to talk to you about that today.

We all know that further and higher education is of crucial importance in helping advance the government’s wider economic, social and environmental agendas.

The message I am hearing from you and your Executive is that we share many of the same aims, but there is a need for investment in the sector.

I couldn’t agree more and I am happy to say that some of that additional money is already flowing into the sector.

If we take the National Training Fund and the Vote allocation together, there is an extra €513 million in funding for DFHERIS in 2023 compared to 2022. This is a 14% increase and brings funding for the sector to over €4 billion.

In addition, I secured additional money for capital investment with €270 million available in 2023. That is out of an overall National Development Plan which provides for Exchequer investment of nearly €2.9 billion in further and higher education infrastructure, research and innovation over the five-year period 2021–2025.

I know we all want more and we will work together to make this happen, but these are big numbers that do demonstrate real commitment to the sector and will have a meaningful impact on the ground.

For example, €32 million has been set aside in direct response to demographic pressures in higher education.

It is essential we do not allow another hole to emerge in the funding of third level.

This level of funding means we are now investing 25% more for every new student in the higher education system - €8,245 compared to the average of €6,500 provided in previous years.

Funding the Future promises that an identified funding gap of €307 million will be closed by Government, in addition to the extra demographic funding I have just spoken about.

The first tranche of €40 million was available to us this year.

The vast bulk of this money is being used to increase staffing levels and strengthen the student experience in our traditional universities and provide for additional structural management, research and support staffing posts in the Technological Universities.

Let me be clear, this year for the first time in a long time, we will see a reduction in the staff to student ratio. And let me also emphasise that I have made ending precarious employment a key condition of additional investment.

And the additional money for 2023 is being divided equally between the traditional and technological university sector with both receiving €17.8 million.

Given the first opportunity to show parity of esteem between TUs and traditional universities, I took it and we’ll keep building on that. I wanted to ensure the TUs are strengthened and provided with the capacity to deliver on their mission.

The only capital projects we ringfenced were ones which would advance the technological university agenda – including the purchase of the iconic Waterford Crystal site to expand the SETU and there is much, much more to come.

You very much ‘get’ the TU agenda and understand what we have been trying to do in creating a new model of higher education in this country.

Thank to these efforts, we have managed in a relatively short period to radically transform the higher education landscape, moving from 14 Institutes of Technology to five TUs and two Institutes of Technology (IoTs).

The challenge now is for us to remain committed to the vision that drove this change.

Let me be very clear – TUs are a new kind of institution with a specific role to play in higher education.

I do not want to see TUs morph into traditional universities. I want distinctive TUs and a differentiated range of institutions.

The legislation and the mission of the TUs is very clear – it is about skills development, regional access to HE and working with enterprise to address the issues of a given area.

Of course TUs can and do reach beyond the regional to contribute and lead both nationally and internationally.

But the point is that the TU sector should complement and collaborate other HE institutions, not compete with them.

In short, I want to see a unified sector, not a uniform one.

And it is in this spirit, that I want to assure you all here today that neither Dundalk IT nor IADT Dun Laoghaire are being forgotten or ‘left behind.’

I recently met with TUI reps on this very issue and had what I felt was a useful and constructive discussion.

I have said on many occasions that it is not for me as Minister to instruct any institution to follow a particular organisational path.

However, it certainly is my job and that of my department and the HEA to support DkIT and IADT and that is what we are doing.

As the future strategic direction of these institutes evolves, there should be no doubt that we will assist them to the greatest extent possible within the existing policy and legislative framework.

And let me assure you any funding required will be forthcoming. I cannot be clearer on that.

Alongside all the developments in higher education, we must not lose sight of the ambitious reform agenda underway in the Further Education and Training sector. You all know my views about the points race and the pressure the CAO system puts on young people.

I have spoken about traditional universities, technological universities, FET and apprenticeship programmes.

Now, more than ever, it is important for us to take a more holistic view of the higher and further education sector and work towards the development of a more unified tertiary education system. Work is underway in my department to deliver exactly this.

The establishment of the National Tertiary Office and the development of joint HE/FET programmes is a major milestone in these efforts. For the first time in Ireland, you will see guaranteed access – not a lottery – subject to passing exams, to a degree programme that starts in further education and concludes in higher education.

There are five clusters of ETBs and HEIs involved in the co-development and co-delivery of 14 programmes across FET and HE.

So taking just one example, a student could complete the first year of a computing course in Laois/Offaly ETB and then have a guaranteed route into SETU to pursue a degree.

Or here in Cork, you will be able to commence a degree programme in Cork ETB before transitioning to MTU Cork.

Learners can do two years in Sustainability; Performing arts; Computer science; and Finance as part of this new model of learning.

One of the areas I am most excited about is the area of nursing. As part of this model, students will do one year in their ETB in Letterkenny, Castlebar or Sligo and transition to the nearest ATU campus for four years.

This has the potential to be revolutionary for our country and health service. Every year, students in further education get the highest marks in their PLC course in nursing and take the next Ryanair flight to help build the workforce of the NHS.

This stops now. These new programmes will help stem that tide and ensure we train our workforce and keep them here.

The National Tertiary Office will lead on the development of these joint programmes but these will be rolled out from September.

This is just the beginning though. We have much more we want and need to do.

You can be sure that as we learn lessons from these first programmes and seek to expand our offering, we will be coming to the TUI and seeking your expertise on how and where to best develop such initiatives.

More broadly, I believe that the National Tertiary Office will have a transformational impact on learners and the wider system.

The key to bringing a unified tertiary sector into existence is that we need the sectors of further education and training, higher education, and research working much more closely together as part of a more joined up system.

Importantly, this collaboration needs to be underpinned by parity of esteem between the sectors. ETBs have a long standing tradition in equipping learners, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with essential labour market skills and a sense of belonging.

The sector does not always receive the recognition it deserves and this policy is a vital step in recognising the distinct missions and strengths of each sector as an essential part of the overall tertiary system.

There is also scope for more collaboration across the system when it comes to strengthening the practice of teaching and learning.

The bottom line is that we need to put the learner at the centre of the system and develop a variety of well-progressive defined and innovative learning pathways that move the focus beyond the current race for points.

We will soon be taking this plan on the road and engaging with stakeholders.

The TUI and your members will be crucial to this conversation.

Of course, none of this would or will be possible without an investment in our staff.

I know that when we talk about capacity in the sector, we are really talking about supporting you to deliver.

It is my firm belief that staff are the bedrock on which our world-class education system depends.

As such, I am acutely conscious of the serious concerns that have been raised by the TUI and others about the impact of low pay, precarious working and student-staff ratios.

I understand that these issues are not only of concern to individuals in their daily life, but are of systemic importance if we want to recruit and retain people and continue to deliver a high quality education to our students.

My officials and I are listening to you.

I have already highlighted increased investment that will support institutions in moving away from an over reliance on short-term contracts.

There has also been considerable work done to overhaul the Employment Control Framework with the aim of eliminating perverse incentives to rely on short term contracts.

While this reform is being worked through, we have secured a considerable uplift in the upper recruitment limit this year, with an extra 1,150 posts provided, bringing the ceiling to over 22,000 across the sector.

Reform of the ECF and additional investment will combine to help bring Ireland more in line with European peers in terms of staff-student ratios and we should see begin to see improvements in the ratio this year.

I know there are particular concerns among TUI members about specific issues.

One relates to researchers at TUs having access to the Single Pension Scheme.

I completely agree with you that they should, and my officials are working with colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure to get that in place.

This is a complex matter and is admittedly taking some time to resolve, and I can understand your frustrations in this regard. However, I can assure you that we are working to achieve a resolution as soon as possible.

I also know that you are focused on the pay of over 3,300 adult education tutors employed across the country.

And being honest, this has been a source of great frustration for me. It needs to be sorted and sorted now.

Today, I am pleased to confirm we finally have movement and progress. I have received the green light to table a proposal this week to try and resolve this matter once and for all. I am sorry it has taken so long but today we move forward.

Every day, we work to remove the stigma attached to people seeking help for their learning needs and tutors are the people we turn to remove the stigma and ensure people can access the help they need.

The terms and conditions offered to AETs were simply not acceptable.

We have made progress with the introduction of a consistent method for awarding Contract of Indefinite Duration in 2017 and access to leave schemes, paid leave and access to the appropriate public sector pension scheme in 2019.

I am pleased to confirm my department has reached an agreement with the Department of Public Expenditure to change and improve the conditions of adult tutors.

My officials are here today and they will be liaising directly with your leadership team to discuss that and we hope to announce the details of that in the coming days.

I know it took way too long but I hope this is the end of this battle and the start of a better one.

Of course, one of the most important issues for many of you is the development of a new fit for purpose career structure for academic staff in TUs.

This, in turn, will require a new and ground-breaking type of academic contract.

The contract must ensure staff are facilitated, encouraged and rewarded for the many and varied roles they fulfil.

The contract will create the enhanced terms and conditions for a structure of pedagogical, research and engagement career pathways that maximise the potential of every individual academic staff member.

They will help us retain and recruit talent and enable TU’s to deliver on their potential.

In December last year, I brought the OECD report on academic career paths, contract and organisation in Ireland to Cabinet.

Since then my officials have been engaged in intensive analysis and discussions with counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

I hope to be able to return to Cabinet seeking approval to a range of measures, including the establishment of new associate professor and professor grades.

There is much work to be done before we reach that stage but I do want to assure you that the TUI will be comprehensively consulted in the relevant discussions and that there will be no imposition of new contracts or terms and conditions.

We want an agreed, collaborative working through of the necessary steps for bringing new structures into TUs in order to cement their central role in delivering a transformed and transforming higher education landscape.

Before I conclude, I do want to touch on the reason we all do what we do and that is to improve the outcome for learners.

The focus has to shift away from conversations about institutions and programmes to the individual learner or prospective learner. I know you all agree with me on this.

Wherever and whenever a learner enters our education system, no matter what stage in life they are at, they should be guided and supported.

If you have entered a higher education degree and realise that it’s not for you, you should be able to easily transfer to one of the further education colleges or start an apprenticeship.

If you decide to return to education after many years of caring for your family, you should be able to re-enter the education system to pursue the course of your choice, irrespective of level.

That requires financial support being available through the Student Grant Scheme, and my department is currently working with colleagues across the sector to define the parameters of such a scheme.

However, one of the issues that needs significant improvements is the area of persons with a disability.

We have made incredible strides in primary and secondary education. But there is a real cliff edge when it comes to accessing supports in third level.

Under the National Access Plan, we have made really important changes and improvements especially for people with an intellectual disability.

But we have to do more.

That is why I am so pleased today to announce we are extending supports for persons with disabilities across further education.

This is absolutely essential to ensuring we have an education system that delivers for all.

The Fund for Students with Disabilities will be extended to all students with disabilities in 2024.

This will mean all learners – Apprentices, trainees, adults engaging in literacy courses – will benefit from the fund.

In addition, every ETB will be set a minimum percentage of their budget to deploy on consistent learner support across FET and have centralised learner support services.

Education can be rigid. People with disabilities often miss out on learning and employment opportunities – not because they lack any ability but because the system doesn’t give them the tools they need.

We won’t solve this overnight but we cannot delay and I know working together we can make third level more accessible and better for all.

Finally, I wish to say again how grateful I am for the support and expertise you have provided over the last 12 months and indeed before that.

I have said numerous times before in numerous addresses, education is the greatest of levellers and it is for all types of individuals and families and not just the sector itself, that together we are putting Further and Higher Education on a sustainable path for the long term.

It could not be done without you, and I look forward to continuing this journey together in the year ahead.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.