System for allocating college places ‘not the worst’, minister says

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Ireland’s system for allocating college places is “not the worst”, the Higher Education Minister has said.

Patrick O’Donovan defended the Central Applications Office (CAO) process as more than 56,000 applicants were offered a college place on Wednesday afternoon.

The CAO issued 83,369 round one offers to a total of 56,571 applicants – split across courses at Level 8 or Level 7/6.

These consist of 51,934 Level 8 offers and 31,435 Level 7/6 offers, with many applicants receiving offers at both levels.

Some 56 per cent of Level 8 offers are for the applicant’s first preference course, while 83 per cent of Level 8 offers are for a course in the applicant’s top three preferences.

A total of 92 per cent of Level 7/6 offers are for the applicant’s first preference course while 99 per cent are one of their top three preferences.

First-round offers must be accepted by 3pm on Tuesday.

There were a total of 83,543 applicants to the CAO this year, including 7,365 mature applicants.

It means 67.7 per cent of all applicants were offered some course in the first round of offers while second round offers will be available at 2pm on September 9th.

The Higher Education Minister congratulated all applicants “who worked so hard” for their results.

However, Mr O’Donovan noted that many applicants would be disappointed but added: “Today is by no manner or means the end of the line given all of the various options, routes, avenues that there are for people to gain what is their chosen profession.”

In addition, several courses had their places filled through random allocation due to a surplus of applicants achieving the required results.

Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings, the minister said he was “satisfied” with the CAO system, describing it as “fair and equitable” process that has operated for many years.

Pressed on whether a process that resorts to random place allocation is not the best system, Mr O’Donovan said: “It is also not the worst system.

“We need a selection process that is fair and treats everybody the same.”

Many of the courses decided by random allocation are in the fields associated with medicine and healthcare, with the minister saying announcements around expanding some of these courses in the future will be made in the coming weeks.

Asked if there would be a permanent reduction in fees after two temporary measures in previous budgets, Mr O’Donovan said he and Taoiseach Simon Harris were conscious of the “burden” on families.

“The Budget will form part of that, and not only in of direct expenditure, but also in of the tax elements.”

He said SUSI grants as well as direct payments towards fees and maintenance are the subject of ongoing conversations with the Department of Public Expenditure.

Many of those who have been successful in obtaining a place at higher education institutions across the country will have to find an appropriate place to live to travel to their course.

With acute pressure on student accommodation, Mr O’Donovan said he had worked with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to reduce the student-specific tenancies agreements to be limited to the academic year.

He also said that last year’s housing budget was the largest in the history of the State, adding: “I’d imagine 2025 would be no different.”

Mr O’Donovan said it was his “ambition” to provide certainty to more universities around funding for purpose-built student accommodation in the Budget.

“Student accommodation forms probably the biggest part of what it is that we’re hoping to ask [the Department of Public Expenditure] for.”

He said he would like to see funding for student accommodation become more “stabilised and regularised”.

“The only people who can give firm commitments on multi-annual funding are the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

“They recognise the issues there at the moment with regard to the size of the student population and the growth in numbers.”

Mr O’Donovan said his department was encouraging more students to avail of digs accommodation: “So for the immediate future, I will be looking for continued s for those people that are providing accommodation in their own homes, and as well as that, direct s for students who are traveling to and from college on a daily basis.”