Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Eugene Murphy made an excellent suggestion about young people. I will go back again to my point about the pillar banks. A total of 70,000 young people have started in colleges of all kinds and their parents have to spend a fortune on their education. What happens to students is that when they qualify, the banks then put up the interest rate, which is crazy. They carry that albatross on their back right into their thirties, whether it is €10,000 or €5,000, which is the equivalent of €100,000 to a person who is only earning €10,000 a year to begin with. There is an incredible opportunity for An Post in that regard in whatever way it decides to work that out in order that post offices are the place we go for loans and that we can stay away from the pillar banks. An Post is an extraordinary organisation. Given the reputation of the pillar banks in the denial of people's freedom, I would not let people in the door unless the banks play ball the way people want them to.