Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would be interested in seeing a proposal on that. The committee can look at it if Professor Hegarty would bring something forward. We are interested in anything that would assist students in getting where they want to get in their education.

Mr. Miley noted earlier that the report on the future funding of higher education will soon be published. He said that it needs to be ambitious and sustainable and to reflect the realities of the current challenges facing the sector. He spoke about SUSI and its reform. As a public representative I have many examples of issues with SUSI. One that still frustrates me seven or eight years later was the case of a student who was from a large family. His parents would have probably gone through second level education but definitely not third level education. The son going into third level was totally breaking the mould. He was going to Waterford. He was a fraction of a kilometre out of the catchment for SUSI. I happened to hear of the situation. The parents did not come to me looking for assistance; I went to them offering my assistance. After the most painful and ridiculous phone calls and conversations back and forward with SUSI, this guy is now fully qualified and working in a very professional job. Had I not been involved, he would not have got to where he got to.

Reform is probably an understatement of what is needed in SUSI. I think it needs to be torn asunder and re-examined. We need to consider what SUSI is actually doing. I think it is about giving people an opportunity. SUSI is financed by the State but you would swear it was coming out of their own pockets in cases like the one I have just described. I really feel that reform is a very light word to be using here. It really needs to be an in-depth reform of what SUSI is about. I will ask the three witnesses a really important question which I have asked before. What sort of reform is needed for SUSI?