Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ms Austick spoke about the goal being to reduce the competition of the points race and to support students to have an equal opportunity to attend higher education, with which I am sure everybody would agree. She talked about addressing the unacceptable inequality of outcome which is perpetrated under the current points race system. Does she mean inequality of outcome or opportunity? I ask because there is often a debate between those two ideas. Is it not true that in any situation in life, whether it is in college or subsequently, there is going to be an inequality of outcome based on people's differential capacities, performance and commitment? Is it realistic to talk about the inequality of outcome even under the points system? Do we not need to address the matter at the opportunity stage as opposed to the outcome stage?