Ms Ciara Fanning:

I am happy to respond. It is nice for us to see that so many members of the committee have raised the issue of direct provision. The ISSU is working intensively on this matter. We have taken massive issue with the significant barriers that are being encountered by students in direct provision when they seek to access third level education. If people in direct provision centres or in emergency accommodation have to pay international fees, it can be impossible for them to provide for the unbelievable rates involved, which have been skyrocketing in recent times. I remind the committee that students in direct provision sit the same leaving certificate examinations as Irish students. They do the same work. It is unbelievable that a student in direct provision who gets 625 points might not have an access route to college. It is a massive oversight on the part of the system. When we consider this issue, we must come back to the direct provision system itself. In addition to the massive barriers that are encountered when students in direct provision seek to access third level education, there are issues with the education of people in the direct provision system at second level. Many direct provision centres do not provide proper levels of nutrition. There can be a failure to provide a safe environment for learning and education. When I was studying for my leaving certificate, my mother had the dinner ready when I came home from school and I was able to study at the corner of the kitchen table until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Such an environment is not available to people in direct provision. This aspect of the matter needs to be reflected on. We are happy that people are taking notice of this issue.

It is great that members of the joint committee have raised the issue of dependency. We have come across many cases of ISSU members who are not living with their parents for various reasons. Many young people are homeless and might not have access to the documentation needed to prove to SUSI that they are estranged from their parents. They might not want to go into the personal reasons for their estrangement from their parents. They might not have a stream of communication with their parents or grandparents, or they might be completely isolated from their families, but they can be classed as dependent candidates nonetheless.

Whether they have been in the care system, living with their parents or providing for themselves, their income has no influence on whether they can attend third level. There needs to be an intensive review in that regard.

In the context of earning money over the summer period, this is a major restriction on second-level students. We live in an environment where the cost of living is sky high and many students are forced into part-time employment while in education. That can also be a class issue. Many students work part-time in corner shops in order that they might buy clothes, etc., in Penneys or elsewhere; that could be dispensable income. However, we also live in an environment where students from large families are forced to work in order to provide for themselves and ease the financial pressure on their parents or those with whom they are living. That comes back to the issue of private education at second level, grinds schools and the increased competitiveness when it comes to the leaving certificate system in that these students could be working to pay for grinds that will help them get the courses they want. Their parents may be forking out €10,000 a year to send them to grinds schools and they are working to pay for their food and accommodation. That is a major issue in terms of elitism in our education system but also because these students are being forced into work It is not always an option for them to give up their weekend part-time jobs. Unfortunately, people were forced to do that recently in order to ensure that they qualified for the SUSI grant because their part-time employment put them over the top in terms of the eligibility criteria.

I return to Deputy Ó Laoghaire's point that SUSI does not go far enough. The cost of living and accommodation for students has increased exponentially. While we do not have a proposed framework in place, we would be happy to follow up with an email on that. We can also do some work on it and get back to the committee.

Reference was made to the nine private institutions. This is a major issue in that private colleges often require lower points than many other third-level institutions. If students want to do medicine, business, law or whatever, the points race forces them to put these nine private institutions on their CAO applications but it is not stated in the CAO booklet whether the institution is fee-paying or private. Students are being forced to do that if they want to do particular courses. That might be their only option if they cannot afford grinds or to go to the Institute of Education, or if they live in areas where the schools do not have great teachers and were not in a position to get 500 or 600 points in the leaving certificate as a result. Those private colleges are an option for them. We believe this should be covered by SUSI because it is often the case that the points system is forcing people to choose those institutions.

I am grateful that Senator Gavan mentioned PLC courses. It is important that we respect such courses. The degrees awarded for the completion of PLCs might be seen as being at a lower level than level 8 degrees. However, these courses might be an option for people who want to go into more practical employment and a one-year or two-year course may be the most practical way for them to do that. There is a fee charged to take up a PLC. It might not be as costly as taking up a level 8 course but it could still place an enormous financial burden on families. That issue should be examined. If there is to be a review of SUSI, PLCs should be included in that and some monetary help should be offered to people who wish to pursue them.

We have covered all the issues addressed in the questions. We would be more than happy to elaborate on some of the answers we have given in a follow-up email. I am conscious that there are many other questions to get through.