Ireland must realise full potential of Erasmus programme – Richmond

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown and party spokesman on European Affairs, Neale Richmond, has welcomed the 55% funding increase for the Erasmus programme as agreed by the European Council, stating that Ireland must now realise the full potential of the programme.

Deputy Richmond said: “Launched by then Irish Commissioner, Peter Sutherland, in 1987 Erasmus is one of the EU’s greatest achievements.

“The Erasmus programme has enabled students across the EU to experience life and academia abroad, helping Europe carry out its goal of greater unification.

“In the academic year of 2017/2018, a total of 340,100 European Students travelled to study abroad, a figure that has continually increased throughout the past decades. It therefore makes sense that the budget for this programme is increased by 55%.

“The Erasmus Programme has been a qualified success for Ireland with over 27,000 Irish students from both Vocational Education & Training and Higher Education Institutions travelling to study abroad between the 2015/16 and 2019/20 academic years.

“Additionally, Erasmus has enabled Ireland to welcome nearly 40,000 foreign students between 2015/16 and 2019/20; adding great value to our culture and our economy.

“The Erasmus programme has allowed us to grow closer to our European neighbours such as France, Spain, Germany and the UK. These countries are not only the top destinations for our students but also the countries that send us the most students.

“The benefits that emerge from this programme are immense for students and participating institutions alike.

“However, despite the overall success of Erasmus, we in Ireland are not making the most of the opportunity, indeed one of the few regrets I have in life, is turning down the opportunity to undertake an Erasmus year in France when I was a student in UCD.

“It is vital that the Government and the relevant educational institutions prioritise the expansion of Erasmus in Ireland both in terms of sending and receiving students. The benefits are manifold but there is a clear follow on from Erasmus participation to greater language skills, an interest in EU jobs and a more diverse workforce.

“In light of the huge funding increase we need to realise the full potential of Erasmus.”

ENDS