Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witness for the presentation. I have one question, probably to gain more understanding. I have far more knowledge of the university sector than of the IT sector, so I am curious. I welcomed this presentation more than I welcomed the last one, with the heavy emphasis on income contingent loans. What difference in terms of impact would they have? The university sector sees them as a move forward, but the IT sector is not advocating for them. Does that tie into the impact it would have on the type of students who avail of the ITs? For example, 72% of students in Letterkenny Institute of Technology are on State grants as are 50% of students in the Institute of Technology, Tralee, whereas in the university sector approximately 25% of students in Trinity College are on State grants. Will the possibility of an income contingent loan have a disastrous effect on the ITs, given that it would scrap the grant system and possibly remove the cohort of students who would usually access the ITs through the State grants?