Ireland has been remarkably successful in pursuing its ambitious goals ‘to widen participation and increase student and graduate numbers’ in higher education in order to position itself within the front rank of OECD countries. Participation in higher education in Ireland has risen steadily over recent decades and this is clearly reflected in the % age of the Irish population that has attained higher education qualifications. At present, one-third of the Irish adult population (aged 25– 64 years) has a higher education qualification—12% at NFQ levels 6 or 7 and 22% at NFQ level 8 or above.2 The expansion of opportunities for higher education in Ireland is reflected best in the attainment levels of young adults (aged 25–34 years), 45% of whom have now acquired a higher education qualification.3 The proportion of 18 year olds entering higher education is approaching two thirds. From a position of relative weakness in terms of the educational attainment of the population a few decades ago, Ireland now ranks highly internationally in terms of attainment in higher education.