Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

If we do not sell our forests off to a Swiss bank, we will be able to grow some more money for the State. On a serious note, the Minister's last point is a telling one. It relates to the earlier discussion on the need for joined-up thinking. The Minister is absolutely right at some level. His argument that this amount of money is not much would be acceptable if we could have this discussion in isolation from the discussions on all the other cuts that are having a particular impact on this sector of society. It is a question of the cumulative hit. I have heard the horror stories of students - and anecdotal evidence from their families - who are struggling to stay in university. That is not made up. It is the reality. I had meant to make another point to Deputy Twomey. When I was in college, it was easy to get work off-campus, but it is extremely hard to do that now. Students are being affected by all of these things. It is very difficult for students to get part-time jobs to keep them going while they are in college. That is the reality.