Assembly passes motion seeking more cross border alignment in college application systems

If we are to look at the different systems, we have to start with the UCAS system, which has many benefits and offers a model of best practice, particularly on alignment. UCAS alignment with the CAO system is therefore particularly important, because it would allow students the opportunity to have one system to work towards, while also giving students in the North the opportunity to apply to and study in colleges in the South, and vice versa. It would allow students in the South the opportunity to have more time to plan where to go to university, to decide what course to do and to sort out their accommodation for when they get there. Alignment would therefore benefit everyone. Alignment would be mutually beneficial and create more opportunities for students, but it would also create opportunities for those right across our society and ensure that people can live, work and study at home. I am sure that all MLAs face the problem of cities and towns in their constituencies losing young people through the brain drain. We are losing young people who have huge skills and huge talents, and we want to have the opportunity to retain them in our communities in Ireland.

Having alignment is really important for students, because it would allow the Careers Service to be more focused on the issue. Unless you are a teacher with personal experience of the process, you will not be particularly familiar with CAO applications. We have seen an inconsistency in approach across schools and across different education sectors. We want a system that is less ad hoc and less inconsistent and that does not perpetuate barriers to education, particularly for young people whose families may not have had the opportunity to study in third-level institutions. It is about equalising that opportunity and creating the same opportunity for young people in all our schools and colleges.

There have been significant advancements in alignment made recently, particularly, first, on recognition of the issue itself and, secondly, on the removal of the necessity to do four A levels here. My colleagues Mairéad Farrell TD and Donna McGettigan TD have raised that issue in the Dáil, and our team in the Oireachtas has been raising it consistently. It is an issue that has been pushed by my Sinn Féin colleagues in the South, working with our team in the North.

An opportunity exists for the Minister of Education, and I am disappointed that he is not here today. He has proposed the removal of AS levels, but one of the benefits that we have seen recently is that four A levels are no longer required in order for students in the North to apply to CAO. Instead, they are now required to have three A levels and one AS level. Removing AS levels would negate that benefit and thus reduce opportunities for students from the North to study in the South, instead increasing barriers. I know that the Minister has had some engagement with his Southern counterparts, and it would have been useful to hear about that today, but, hopefully, other Members can raise points and update us on exactly what has been happening.

This is about creating fairer and better opportunities for our young people. Achieving alignment necessitates a joined-up, collegiate approach between Departments, North and South, universities, colleges and awarding bodies, as well as UCAS and CAO. In particular, I praise the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI) for its work on the issue, because that work has been student-led. It has been led by students who have been impacted on by the problem and want to drive progress. Even in my time at school, many of my friends who wished to study in the South decided not to do so. Although they applied to both UCAS and CAO, they decided, once they got their offer from Ulster University, Queen’s or the Open University, that they would take up that offer and reject their offer from the South because of the uncertainty created by the delay. We are offering Ministers an opportunity to work collegiately on the issue to ensure that all students can have equality of access and equality of opportunity.

From my limited understanding of the issue, which I have been trying to engage in, the problems are twofold. One is the timing of results issued by examination boards, rather than a problem with UCAS. The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and AQA, the two biggest examination providers in Northern Ireland, report their examination results far earlier than their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland do. That leads to, as Mr Delargy outlined, people accepting an offer from a university in Northern Ireland or in other parts of the United Kingdom. The second problem is the recognition of A levels and the points tariff system. When I was at school, many years ago, I applied to study at a university in the Republic of Ireland. I studied four A levels to A2 and achieved four As, but Trinity College still rejected me, because it did not recognise the fourth A level. That scenario continues to be an issue for students in Northern Ireland who wish to study in the Republic of Ireland.

I want every student in Northern Ireland to have access to the best possible course and best possible provider, be that in Northern Ireland, in the Republic of Ireland or in mainland GB. I am very happy to support the motion. I welcome the fact that the Economy Minister will respond to it. Only one Minister can respond, which is why the Education Minister is not here. It is not a slight on the Member who proposed the motion.

We talk about student mobility and university places in Northern Ireland. Mr Delargy rightly articulated the big issue of the so-called brain drain. No bigger issue precludes students from being able to study in Northern Ireland than the artificial maximum student number (MaSN) cap, which was introduced and presided over by consecutive Executives. It means that students in Northern Ireland have to compete with each other, with their counterparts in mainland GB and with their counterparts in the Irish Republic to get a place at university in Northern Ireland. We have a very strange situation where students from the Republic of Ireland who apply to study in Northern Ireland can take a MaSN cap place from a student who is from Northern Ireland. That does not translate into students coming from GB to study in Northern Ireland. Our Executive are using their money to give places to students from the Republic of Ireland at the expense of students from Northern Ireland. The Minister needs to look into that. The Minister rightly articulated that it is an operational matter for universities, but universities have been clear to our Committee and have put it on the record that they fear the Department’s response if they were to remove Republic of Ireland students from the MaSN cap. I would welcome the Minister’s commitment to the belief that students in Northern Ireland are the only people who should be able to benefit from the MaSN cap.

The DUP is happy to support the motion.

The last time that I spoke on an economy motion, I said that my first motivation for entering politics was to make home a place that my children do not have to leave to be successful. For me, the motion aligns directly with that objective. Coincidentally, this week, I will attend an A-levels option event with my daughter at her school. Foremost in the decision-making is the entry requirements for her preferred university course. Over the weekend, we were chatting about that, and I mentioned the Education Minister’s recent consultation on qualification reforms, particularly the fact that 77% of respondents oppose the removal of AS levels.

That short exchange between a mum and a daughter highlights two key issues. The first is that if the Minister proceeds with removing AS levels, we unintentionally risk narrowing pathways for students who wish to apply to universities in the South. We know that positive work was done following the Universities Ireland report to improve equivalence between A levels and the Leaving Certificate, but removing AS levels would complicate that picture and potentially create new barriers. Secondly, it highlights an information gap. Our schools are familiar with the UCAS system, which is embedded and well understood and supported. The CAO system operates differently. When making decisions, students need to be clear that the CAO is a post-qualification admissions system that does not make conditional offers in the same way as UCAS.

Ensuring that schools and careers advisers have clear, accurate guidance is not an insurmountable challenge. Modest resource investment is required to deliver that, and the outcome would ensure that every student in Northern Ireland is fully aware of, and supported in accessing, opportunities across the island. A careers action plan is in place, and it seems entirely reasonable that structured CAO awareness and guidance would form part of that work.

The practical challenges — the differences between post-qualification and pre-qualification admission models; the risks that students feel in waiting for CAO offers; and the ongoing issue of language requirements on some courses — have already been referenced. Those are real barriers, which deserve continued engagement. However, while we often focus on how to retain students close to home, we should also recognise the value of outward mobility. Studying in Dublin, Cork, Galway, London or Edinburgh can help students to build networks that create opportunities for employment or broaden horizons and experience that can add value for local employers in Northern Ireland. Encouraging our young people to move away from home to study is positive, but we must create the conditions that attract them back and, equally, attract others here.

At its heart, the motion is simple. It is about ensuring that no young person’s ambition is limited by administrative misalignment, a lack of awareness or unnecessary barriers. Our job is to expand opportunity, not to restrict it. I hope that that is something that we can all support today.

What are the real barriers to opportunity for Northern Ireland’s young people? The maximum student number (MaSN) cap creates artificial restrictions on the number of local students who can access higher education. We believe that reform of the MaSN cap is vital to improving opportunities for our young people. The MaSN cap places limits on local university places, which puts extra pressure on the availability of spaces for young people in Northern Ireland. That restriction forces thousands of talented young people to study in Great Britain, where they face fees of over £9,000 a year. Indeed, that barrier was pointed out recently by Queens University’s vice chancellor, Professor Sir Ian Greer, who said that Queen’s University is limited to offering approximately 3,500 places to students from here each year, despite an average of nearly 28,000 applications.

While students can and do submit multiple applications, it is clear that supply falls considerably short of demand. The brain drain from Northern Ireland to GB is well documented. For example, a report by Pivotal found that in a period when 17,425 people left Northern Ireland to study, only 3,470 came here. Clearly, the outflow of students from Northern Ireland is not matched by students coming from elsewhere. Whilst the MaSN cap is not the sole cause of that, it evidently does not help the situation when Northern Ireland students find it much easier to get places in GB.

If we are serious about opportunity, we must be serious about reform. The MaSN cap needs to be removed or fundamentally reworked so that our universities can expand to meet demand. However, that leads us to the uncomfortable truth that our universities are under severe financial strain.

If we recognise the value of such partnerships, we must ensure that their benefits extend across all of our regions, and that, obviously, includes the north-west, because it is uniquely positioned to benefit from increased student mobility. It is a region defined by natural economic and social connections, and it operates on a cross-border basis on every strand. Strengthening cooperation between Ulster University and the Atlantic Technological University would represent a practical and strategic investment in shared regional potential. Such collaboration would expand education pathways, support research links and reinforce the north-west as a centre of skills, innovation and growth. It would also send an important signal that regional development and educational opportunity must go hand in hand.

Student mobility and cooperation cannot be separated from the lived realities that face learners, wherever they come from. For many young people, the high cost of living reshapes their decisions about higher education. Rising accommodation costs and financial pressures deter capable students. Access to university should not depend on the student’s ability to absorb escalating costs. Those challenges can be even greater for those considering cross-border study, particularly those who are seeking to study in places such as Trinity in Dublin. The cost of student accommodation in Dublin, even in the outskirts, is very prohibitive. It is horrendous.

At the same time, institutions must have the capacity to support growth. If Magee is to attract students from across the island, it must be funded properly. Expansion requires investment not only in teaching facilities but in student accommodation. Those who come to study in Derry must have access to affordable and appropriate housing. Without that foundation, growth becomes far more difficult to sustain. More broadly, our higher and further education sectors require that stability. Many institutions are operating under really sustained financial strain. Without timely intervention, the conversation shifts from growth and mobility to basic sustainability.

Responsibility for addressing the structural pressures rests with the Minister for the Economy. The higher education funding review must proceed with urgency and deliver a settlement capable of supporting long-term development, wider participation and regional balance. Is it essential that we listen directly to those most affected. Student voices must be central to the discussions. That is why I —.

We welcome the positive work that has taken place between universities and Departments across the island to facilitate closer equivalence between A levels and the Leaving Cert. That progress matters, because it recognises the reality that young people increasingly see this island as a good place to study, work and live. However, let us be clear: barriers to student mobility remain. Misaligned admission dates between UCAS and the CAO create unnecessary stress. Different timelines force students to make decisions in the dark, sometimes accepting or declining offers without having the full picture, and that is not good enough. A streamlined, joined-up process would expand opportunity.

That brings me to an issue that was mentioned by a number of Members, namely the proposal by the Education Minister to scrap AS levels. At a time when we should be making progression to university clearer and more accessible, the Minister is pursuing a harmful reform agenda that risks doing the opposite. Almost two thirds of respondents to his departmental consultation expressed disagreement with his plans. There is no public appetite for scrapping AS levels. Parents, teachers and students understand the value of that qualification. It provides breadth in Year 13, contributes to the overall A-level outcome and gives universities a meaningful indication of performance when considering applicants.

There is a clear all-island dimension. Universities in the South recognise AS levels within the CAO framework. In many cases, an AS subject can be counted as an additional qualification for points purposes. That means that students here currently have the opportunity to present a broader academic profile when applying to institutions across the island. If AS levels are removed, students in the North will have fewer subjects to present through the CAO system. At a time when we are arguing for better alignment and increased mobility, that proposal risks weakening the competitiveness of our students for courses in Dublin, Cork, Galway and elsewhere in the South, which runs directly counter to the spirit of the motion. Scrapping AS levels would narrow subject choice earlier and increase pressure in a single set of high-stakes exams.

How can we speak about improving mobility and smoothing pathways to university while dismantling a qualification that currently strengthens those pathways? Rather than press ahead with the reform, the Minister should listen. He should focus on what students and families need. That means protecting qualifications that work, promoting the full range of university options across Ireland and ensuring that students are properly supported to navigate the UCAS and CAO routes.

Our young people deserve first-class opportunities to study and build their future on this island. Breaking down barriers to mobility is part of that; creating new ones is not. I urge Members to support the motion.

In a place that has known division, widening opportunity is one of the most powerful things that we can deliver so that young people have the choice to stay at home. That should be expanded and grown. They have the choice to go to England, Scotland and Wales, and Alliance wants to see those opportunities open up across this island as well, because that makes absolute sense. It is disappointing to hear some of the comments today urging Members to vote against those opportunities.

The collapse in mobility is stark. I have said this before in here: at Trinity, in 1998, 10% of the students were from Northern Ireland, but, today, fewer than 1% are from Northern Ireland. That is because of the barrier. It is not about a shift in what people want but about a structural barrier that exists. We should ask why so few of our young people have the opportunity to have Trinity, University College Dublin (UCD), Cork or Galway as an option. Just as England, Scotland and Wales are open to them, our young people should feel that the entire island is open to them, without barriers and without being complicated, and not closed.

Our experience was that Emma decided to go to Trinity a long time ago. That was where she wanted to go. As Members have said, however, you do not get a formal offer, as you do through UCAS. After Emma applied through UCAS and narrowed down her options, her choice was University College London (UCL). On the day that she got her A-level results, which are, in effect, your ticket to university — in her case, UCL — she had to make the decision to defer that place for a year, wait two weeks and hope that she would have a place at Trinity — and it is hope, because you do not know that you will get in, even though you are doing four A levels. That is complete and utter nonsense. It is unnecessary, creates uncertainty and diminishes our young people’s ambition. Creating a barrier such as that and putting young people under pressure to take a year out to allow them to move forward is wrong. We should not build systems that make our young people have to hesitate. Rather, we should make it as easy and seamless as possible for them to fulfil their ambition. The simplest way to share this place, which has been shaped by division, and to build a shared future is to widen opportunity.

Alignment of timelines is only part of the issue.

Third-level education is a huge privilege, a treasure and something that is economically critical, notwithstanding all the doom-laden warnings about automation; in fact, lots of the things that people study in third-level education, including the humanities and the arts, will be extraordinarily important. I hope that we can reassert the primacy of human knowledge and human ability over the idea that we will all be automated out of employment.

There are a few themes on which I want to pick up. As David Honeyford has just said, it is really sad and regrettable that, over the past decade or two, as we have moved through the post-Good Friday Agreement age, when we were supposed to be interacting and engaging much more on the island, the number of Northern students going South has fallen. Something really important that was preserved through the worst of the conflict was the fact that pupils from all traditions up here regularly went down South, especially to Trinity and UCD. Numbers have since fallen, but, in the past year or two, there has been a significant increase in the number of students from the South coming North, and that is welcome. I know that because Queen’s University is in the heart of my constituency; indeed, it is next to my constituency office. There is, however, clearly a huge barrier in the way of Northern students applying to universities in the South. It is an artificial barrier that does not need to be in place. It is structurally harder to apply. As people have said, the UCAS process is timed differently, and how it is aligned means that people will often simply take, as it were, the bird in the hand rather than wait for confirmation of a place on a course that they might like to have done in Dublin, Cork or Galway or wherever. That is not right, because sometimes going to that city and doing that course would have been the best thing for them. That artificial barrier exists, but it really does not have to. I am someone who started to go through the CAO process but then took the bird in the hand. I went to university in Scotland, which I do not regret at all; I had a great time. Lots of people from Northern Ireland travel across the water, as they say, to university; in my case, it was 25 years ago. The sad thing is that the opportunity to move to a different part of this island to study has become harder, not easier.

I want to know from the Minister whether she can give us an update today. That involves asking her what the Irish Government are doing. A year or two ago, we had a big report from universities. It was funded through the Shared Island initiative by Universities Ireland. I am not clear what progress has been made since then. The report was publicised with bells and whistles, but I want to know what is happening in universities south of the border, not just Trinity and UCD. Other universities south of the border are available, as you, Mr Deputy Speaker, are well able to tell us. There is DCU, the University of Galway and the University of Limerick. Atlantic Technological University has been mentioned, and Dundalk Institute of Technology is now connected to Queen’s, I am proud to say. There are terrific institutions across the island. I do not think that it is better that a student go to one university over another, be it one on this island or one on the island next door, but I want us to remove barriers to opportunities for young people.

I have talked a lot about my experience of leaving here and staying away for 20 years. I did that not because I made a big decision that I was leaving and did not want to come back but because, like a lot of people, I left when I was still young, after which my life then started in a different place. Those are the decisions that one makes.

Since it has come up several times, I will talk about the MaSN cap. I agree that there is a challenge in student numbers in Northern Ireland. I do not disagree with that — it would be mad to disagree with it — but it is glib to simply say, “We’ll increase fees”. Look at the scandal that is unfolding in Britain around student fees: you have something that was supposed to be designed to look like a graduate tax, but the taxation structure is levied in such a way that it is an extraordinary debt burden that is unfairly placed on people who make that choice. That keeps people out of third-level education rather than incentivising them to go into it, so I am not sure that that is an answer either.

I strongly support the motion. I want to see people travel all over this island and, indeed, the island next door to go to university. I am keen to hear from the Minister on whether she has an update. I might not be able to hear it all, because I have to go to a different call, but I will check Hansard afterwards to see what she said. I am pleased to support the motion.

The motion is not simply about choice. It reflects a particular partisan framing, one that pushes Northern Ireland’s educational system towards the Irish Republic while ignoring the east-west relationships that have long served our students well. That is where the problem lies. Thousands of students from Northern Ireland go to universities across the United Kingdom every year. They train as doctors, engineers, teachers and lawyers. They build careers across the UK labour network. Those links are not incidental; they reflect the historical, family and constitutional links that bind the United Kingdom together. In the motion, the emphasis is on creating smoother pathways into the Irish Republic. That suits a particular constitutional narrative, not the reality of where our students go. If the Assembly wishes to promote mobility, it must do so honestly and even-handedly. I have nothing against North/South opportunities, but they cannot come at the expense of east-west opportunities.

Timothy, you have an extra minute.

Getting back to the motion, I cannot support a quiet attempt to re-engineer Northern Ireland’s education system around an all-island framework.

Northern Ireland already loses a significant proportion of its school-leavers every year because of the limited number of university places that are available here. The House could address that problem, but here we are, debating how best to streamline the process for sending even more students elsewhere. That said, students have a right to study where they please. It would be a mistake, however, to pass this narrow Sinn Féin motion, with its inoperable proposals and narrow-minded, Irish-nationalist scope.

In recent years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of students from the South enrolling in courses at universities in the North. Our higher education institutions in this region deliver high-quality teaching, research excellence and an exceptional experience for students. However, we are not seeing the same increase in students from the North enrolling in the South. In fact, as was pointed out, the reality is quite the opposite, indicating that further work is required to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in both jurisdictions.

The motion recognises the work undertaken to date to remove barriers to student mobility across the island, and one of the most significant steps taken was the review of A-level grade equivalency by Universities Ireland. Following the review, A-level students no longer need to present four top A-level grades to reach the maximum tariff: three A levels and one AS level are now sufficient. As others have mentioned, I have real concerns about the Department of Education’s proposal to discontinue AS levels, which was in the recent consultation on the future of GCSEs, AS levels and A levels. If implemented, it could reverse some of the progress on reducing barriers to student mobility. However, I agree with Mr Honeyford that the value of A levels should be recognised: three A levels at the top grade should get you the top points.

Another exemplar of all-Ireland collaboration and student mobility is the expansion of the Magee campus of Ulster University. The campus location provides a natural cross-border catchment area, and its expansion further enhances Magee’s role as a truly regional campus, creating meaningful opportunities for students from both the North and South, while promoting regional balance and sustainable growth in the north-west. The recently announced partnership between Queen’s University and Dundalk Institute of Technology is another positive step in North/South collaboration. The partnership will strengthen academic links across the island, expand the opportunities for student and researcher mobility, foster innovation and further support the delivery of regional balance.

Of course, financial considerations continue to play a pivotal role in shaping students’ decisions about where they study. Recognising that, my Department introduced a tuition-fee loan for postgraduate students from the North who choose to study in the South, effective from the 2024-25 academic year. The policy is specifically designed to alleviate the financial barriers that might otherwise deter students from pursuing educational opportunities across the island. I have also taken steps to augment eligibility for doctoral funding by amending the terms and conditions of my Department’s postgraduate researcher scheme. As a result, PhD students from the South are now entitled to not only fee support but the full stipend across all funded PhD studentships.

I am eager to further develop and promote apprenticeship opportunities that operate across the entire island. Cross-border apprenticeships are already in operation. A notable example is the two-year accounting technologist higher-level apprenticeship, which was designed by Accounting Technicians Ireland in partnership with further and higher education institutions and employers across the island. It has been delivered by Southern Regional College since 2024, and, last October, I was delighted to co-launch with Minister Lawless the delivery of the programme in the South.

Our further education colleges are active in building and maintaining collaborative all-Ireland relationships across a range of matters, creating opportunities for cross-border student mobility. The north-west tertiary education cluster partnership, involving North West Regional College, Ulster University, Atlantic Technological University and Donegal Education and Training Board, provides pathways and progression routes for students on a cross-border basis and works alongside industry to ensure high-value jobs for the region.

In the south-west, all-island relationships have led to programmes to reach rural communities and deliver key skills, such as the Smart Rural Innovation Driven Empowerment (STRIDE) initiative. STRIDE empowers local citizens by using digital technologies to tackle societal and economic challenges. It is delivered in partnership with South West College, Alacrity Foundation, Atlantic Technological University, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Leitrim County Enterprise Fund and Ulster University.

I recognise that effective support for cross-border student mobility hinges on ensuring that prospective students have access to clear, comprehensive information that empowers them to make well-informed choices about their preferred place of study. A number of Members mentioned that during the debate. To that end, my officials collaborated closely with student representatives to enhance the guidance available on nidirect, making it easier for individuals exploring higher education opportunities across these islands to find relevant and practical advice.

Concurrently, my Department’s Careers Service has updated and improved its guide to career entry routes. That resource, now readily available online and distributed to all schools, offers up-to-date guidance on the various pathways into university, ensuring that students are well equipped to navigate their options in the North and the South. It is useful to have received Members’ feedback on that; I will take it up with officials, because further work may be needed to ensure that schools are engaged with it. The Careers Service also provides impartial and personalised advice and guidance on an all-age basis. Provided by professionally qualified careers advisers, it includes guidance on higher education options, entry requirements, how to approach and improve an application and study options in all parts of the island. I note that the motion calls on the Minister of Education:

In November, I met the Education Minister to discuss cross-cutting issues, including North/South student mobility. There was a shared recognition of the importance of supporting clear pathways for our young people and a collective commitment from us to work with counterparts in the South to identify and remove barriers. [Inaudible.]

Minister, given that the Irish Government helped to fund the Universities Ireland report, might they fund even something like a fact sheet or a training pack for careers advisers up here, simply to say, “This is how to make CAO approachable and straightforward”? Clearly, that is one of the issues. People think that it is handier to go down the UCAS route.

As we look ahead, I remain firmly committed to working with all stakeholders to remove any obstacles that hinder student mobility across the island by ensuring that learners in each jurisdiction enjoy equal opportunities to access skills and education wherever they choose. We are not only promoting individual growth but fostering regional balance and strengthening all-island collaboration. Together, we can build a more inclusive and dynamic education landscape for future generations. Go raibh maith agat.

It has been a good debate. Most people agreed that we need to remove barriers and make opportunities seamless, but work is very much needed. I could talk all day and not convince the TUV of the benefits of removing barriers between North and South.

As someone who sits on the Education Committee and who talks regularly to young people through youth clubs, I can say that we are talking about the barriers that exist right now. We need to remove them. A real big one that is coming down the line could be the changes that the Minister of Education wants to bring in through TransformED. Proposals are being made at a fast pace, drowning school leaders with consultation after consultation; there is no question about that. It is very clear from one of those consultations that our young people, teachers and parents do not support the removal of AS levels. I would go as far as saying that we should not remove coursework either. It is not just about them getting the qualification; it is a barrier to young people getting on that pathway. They might be put off from doing A levels, because there is far more pressure when there are just one or two exams at the end of two years. Some of our young people do not test well and do not like that, so that is not fair.

I know that only one Minister can respond to the debate, but this was an opportunity to talk about the issue, and I wish that the Education Minister was here. We need to talk this through and work together on it, because it is going to create more barriers: that has been flagged by school leaders, parents and students.

Thank you all for participating in the debate. We probably have enough to get this over the line. We will get out of here a wee bit earlier.