Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for appearing before the committee and wish them both well in their roles. I hope that the Department achieves what we all want it to achieve and that it is a new dawn for further and higher education.

I will begin with a point rather than a question, although the Minister can respond if he wishes. It relates to his previous Department. Anywhere in the country one will hear of delays in child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, psychology services and so on. Mental health issues are significant. The fundamental problem is there are not enough psychiatrists or psychologists, although that is partly a worldwide problem. From speaking to people who have completed psychology courses, many of them want to be psychologists but cannot afford it. The opportunities for them to get fully funded places where they can get clinical experience are just not adequate. Unless someone is from a wealthy background, the option is not there or, if it is, it requires a circuitous route and many people do not take it. That is an issue we need to crack if we are serious about reducing waiting lists and giving people the opportunities to be psychologists or psychiatrists.

We called for all students to get a place this year. I welcome the fact that the Government made that decision and commend it. The Minister identified the work of the higher education institutions, which was extraordinary in managing to achieve that, and I also commend them. We cannot, however, dismiss the issue of students who were squeezed out. We do not know how many there are at this point but the figure is potentially significant. It seems the Government is considering legal action, and while I do not wish for that, it seems to be objectively the case that if such students can demonstrate they missed out on places, they will have been disadvantaged by the error. Objectively, therefore, an injustice will have been done to them. Can any of us be surprised if a court decides they should be awarded deferred places? We need to examine this. Perhaps there is some opportunity in the places that will be offered to students who sit the exams in two months. I do not know whether some kind of mathematical exercise can be done to determine what the points would have been if that error had not occurred and whether they could be given places next year on the strength of that. Is the Minister considering that and does he think there is scope for it in the November offers?