Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

That is not a problem. I welcome the witnesses, a few of whom I have met already. It is appalling that they are being left in limbo. I think it was John F. Kennedy who said that education should be the greatest equaliser of all. There is no level playing field in this situation at all, and I am a firm believer in equal access. I was particularly struck by Mr. Byrne's contribution when he said that he lost his grant when he crossed the road.

Following on from Deputy Byrne's question, will the witnesses clarify they are only seeking the maintenance grants? I submitted a parliamentary question on this matter and got quite a convoluted answer, at the end of which the Minister stated, "It is open to private higher education institutions that operate on a 'for profit' basis to use their own resources to provide financial supports to students that they consider to be in financial difficulty." I am curious to know whether that happens. Is there any sort of support being offered in any of these colleges?

Finally, I agree with the other members about the lack of clarity. I think it was Ms Houlihan who, when I met her, said she was so excited to get the course she wanted only to find out she would not get the necessary support. We need to tackle that obstacle as a committee for the witnesses.