Professor Diarmuid Hegarty:

I made the point in my contribution earlier that there is an absence of learner protection for students in public sector institutions. I have given examples of at least three where students have lost out and in one instance had to go to the High Court to ensure course continuance. That is missing. The higher education authority Bill should include a provision effectively obliging public sector institutions to be part of the national learner protection scheme, as is the case in Australia.