Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection

Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion

2:20 pm

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to thank the representatives of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Union of Students in Ireland for coming to this meeting. It is an opportune time because the budget will take place in a few weeks' time. I thank the witnesses for giving us their views on what needs to be done to assist the sectors of society they serve so well and for which they are so important. As they have said, there needs to be a focus on ensuring that the quality of life of students and the poorest people in our society is protected, maintained and improved as much as possible. I would like both organisations to develop a couple of points that were made. One of the representatives of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul said there should be a particular focus on preschool education. I appreciate that the preschool sector has developed significantly over the last five or six years. This new initiative has greatly enhanced the educational prospects of young people and has helped to address child poverty. I would like the witnesses from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to expand on what it hopes might be achieved in the forthcoming budget. Reference has been made to school meals in this context. After-school care needs to be developed much further as the services that are available in this area are very limited in many areas.

Mr. O'Connor from the Union of Students in Ireland highlighted the important role played by the student assistance fund last year, particularly for the many students who were severely affected by the incompetence associated with the initial establishment of SUSI, which seems to be operating much more effectively this year. Responsibility for administering the student assistance fund, which plays a massive role, is devolved to individual institutions, which are able to use their common sense and judgment to disburse funds to those students who need it most. Mr. O'Connor mentioned that an additional allocation was made last year. On the basis of its engagement with various colleges, and in light of the pressure that came on the fund last year, what level of funding does the USI consider necessary to meet the likely demand for the fund this year?

What is the current position with regard to students who are awaiting responses from SUSI and other bodies about their grants? Has the USI encountered any problems this year in respect of the payment of registration fees? Are demands being placed on students to pay registration fees before it has been confirmed whether they qualify for a grant? It was important that a degree of leeway was afforded last year. I have a sense that there may be problems in a couple of instances this year. I wonder if that is something the USI has encountered. If so, it should be addressed. No student who is awaiting a decision on the award of a grant should be asked to pay the registration fee up-front. If the fee is out of that student's range, his or her continuation in college will be placed at risk.

There has been massive regression in the area of postgraduate study in the last couple of years.

As the Union of Students in Ireland has pointed out, the maintenance grant and the fees for students undertaking postgraduate studies have been done away with in recent budgets. They have been replaced with a €2,000 fee award for students under a certain family income threshold. What has the USI experience been in respect of the take-up of postgraduate studies? What has been the experience of students unions throughout the country? I believe there is a real situation at the moment because postgraduate studies are quickly becoming the preserve of those who can afford to go to college and who have their own means. They are not easily accessible at the moment. What are the thoughts of the USI on the developing situation at postgraduate level?

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