Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody for coming here today on the case that they are making, not only today but on an ongoing basis. I agree with the comments of the other committee members that they are a credit to society, in fact, to the education system that we have at present, and of course to their families who have served them well.

If, for example, we were to take as a given what Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness stated that this publicly funded system is never going to happen, then one is left with a choice between the present fee structure and an income contingent loan model. I do not want to talk about a person's personal circumstances. In many cases the children of college-going age in a family who want to go to college and do not qualify for a grant are borrowing already and the debt is payable straightaway at normal interest rates, and not contingent on one's employment. If those are the two options - I accept there is a third option - is an income contingent loan model not superior to the private bank loan model that must work for many today? I want to think about that because there is a heavy financial burden on parents.

If we are to reject Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness's argument, and if there is a higher court than the Supreme Court that says she is wrong - she is not normally wrong - and we go to the European courts on this one, how do we pay for it then? Maybe it is unfair to ask the witnesses that question. A lot of income tax would have to be generated. Are they, in particular regard to the USI, proposing specific tax increases to pay for this?

The third level students will know more about this than those at second level.

One of the recommendations of the Cassells report is to enhance the maintenance grant. Will the delegation give examples of where the maintenance system is failing, what are the problems with it and how are students suffering because of it? Whatever system we go forward with, that is one recommendation which is often widely ignored. We will have to deal with it.