Cross-border deal for students urged

Dublin: Business group IBEC and the North’s CBI, together with Universities Ireland (UI), have urged support for a cross-border talent acceleration programme for students.

Figures indicate that northern students represent just 1% of the Republic’s undergraduate population and southern students represent only 3.5% of the North’s undergraduate population.

Andy Pollak, secretary of UI, said entry requirements for A-Level students attending Republic of Ireland universities can be significantly higher than for Leaving Certificate students.