Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

With consideration of accommodation comes consideration of the cost of living, which the Minister addressed in his opening statement.

The Minister said he does not envisage a review of the CAO lottery and its unfairness. Some people might dispute the word "unfairness" but I know that as a Member of the Oireachtas, I received a number of calls from parents of students who fell short or who got the maximum number of points but still did not get the course they would have liked.

When it comes to your own family members, you think differently on this. I thought a lot about this and there is no simple solution to it but one area, especially for me within my own family and outside of it, three students who did not fall short of getting the points to study veterinary science. This comes to my next point about the announcement of veterinary courses in the two locations in the technological universities. That is welcome. I am delighted that SETU is one of the awarding colleges. When does the Minister see students being taken in and these courses up and running, because we all know the shortage of veterinary places led to a number of disappointed students? It is not just in veterinary courses, but other courses as well. When does the Minister see this up and running and bums being on seats?