Ms Br?d Horan:

I agree with everything that has been said. I strongly believe that abolishing fees would be a real mistake. Any talk of reducing fees with the State making up the balance to the institutions overlooks the fact that the State does not have an unlimited source of funding. The State needs to step up as well as the fees. The Senator will know from my membership of the Cassells group that I favoured going further and providing for income-contingent loans. Targeted supports for students are the answer. We need to address core funding for the ongoing supports to students while they are in the institution, which has been referred to by a number of other speakers. It is not just about getting people in the door on the first day but it is about supporting them to get the best experience and qualifications they can as a result of getting in that door. That is what will support them through their careers and further lives.

We talk about Ireland as a well-educated society. We cannot take that for granted because one does not recognise what one has until it is gone.

That well-educated society includes our teachers and healthcare workers. I am very conscious of that from my work with DCU. We saw the generous contribution those students made during Covid in going into the classroom and into hospitals. We need to support them so that they can come out and make a lifelong contribution in those areas as well. This is not just about people sitting down in the International Financial Services Centre. This is about the core services in society.