Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I wish the Cathaoirleach well in her role and congratulate her. I look forward to working with everyone on this committee. I have presented to this committee on a number of occasions over the years wearing different hats. I was president of the Union of Students in Ireland ten years ago and, just recently, I was director of the Irish Council for International Students, so this is an area that I have great interest in. Many of us are on the same page about the issues and priorities for the committee.

Student housing needs to be looked at. When people decide to pursue an apprenticeship or further and higher education, the fact that they might not be able to find accommodation should not be a factor in their decision. It should be about where they want to study or what they think the best course for them is. Unfortunately, that is often not the case. Funding needs to be made available to technological universities to be able to borrow and to build purpose-built student accommodation for their campuses.

The overall cost of education needs to be looked at, including the contribution fee. This country has the lowest employment rate for people with disabilities, which came up in the disability matters committee earlier. We need to look at pathways to education, which is key to addressing that.

Regarding mature student access and progressing access to education for the Traveller community, I wholeheartedly agree with the comments about apprenticeships, how apprentices are paid and keeping them in their courses. A living wage for them absolutely must be pushed for.

Many higher education institutions are leading the way with lifelong learning programmes, adult learning and adult literacy. They are important outreach into our communities to address intergenerational access barriers to education, particularly the literacy rates for parents, which can then be passed on to their children. They are having a big impact, which needs to be looked at as something which can be transformative.

There is a funding deficit in the higher education sector. I believe we need to move towards a publicly funded model. There is creeping corporatism and I do not think education courses should be dictated by corporations. We need to have them in public ownership.

It is vital that we engage with students and their representatives directly, whether that is the national students' union, local students' unions or, indeed, the student support services on campuses, which do amazing work day to day. Many of our colleges have led the way on issues in society in general, particularly the issue of consent. Bystander intervention programmes were led by UCC. There are many diversity and inclusion initiatives on our college campuses to tackle racism. Perhaps there is an opportunity for this committee, at some point, to delve into some of the work that is being done.

I know that the Minister is looking extensively at reforming the SUSI system in the context of access to education and supports.

Another area which I do not think has been mentioned is students coming here from abroad to learn English. There is a lack of regulation of that sector in many aspects. That needs to be looked at, including with regard to Ireland's reputation and, more broadly, at international students who contribute much through fees and the supports in place for them, including before they even come to the country and the guidance they receive about the cost of living here.

We have an opportunity to engage with the unions that represent our staff working in further and higher education about pay and conditions. I am thinking of the Irish Federation of University Teachers, for example. We have a good opportunity. I look forward to the work of the committee.