It’s only an educated guess as to who will pay for third level

€500m a year less is being spent on universities and colleges, though there are more students, and nobody wants to foot the bill, says Niall Murray

THERE is €500m less of taxpayers’ money being spent on third-level education than eight years ago, and 2,000 fewer staff work with thousands of more students.

But the public will be slow to approve more of their money, either in taxes or in fees from students. They perceive large levels of waste in universities, and institutes of tehcnology, which still receive €1bn a year in public funding.