Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

The House is almost empty. I had expected that many people would follow proceedings on the Internet but, unfortunately, other events in Washington will take precedence.

Before the debate adjourned I was discussing the cost of living for students, particularly accommodation costs. I also referred to my sons who have completed primary, secondary and third level education. Before entering the Chamber, I attended a meeting with representatives of the Union of Students of Ireland who made three key points.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, was due to establish a student accommodation task force today but failed to do so. I urge the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Seán Haughey, to exert pressure on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to proceed with this important step.

Students are living in very poor accommodation for which they pay prices of up to €700 in Dublin. This makes a mockery of the grant which is only €3,420. Even in Limerick, accommodation in some areas is very poor, particularly in the vicinity of University College Limerick. Many students live in run-down, old-style houses, paying rents to faceless agents working on behalf of absentee landlords who will not invest in upgrading the accommodation. The attitude of these landlords is that any accommodation will do for students. Despite this, students also have problems having their deposits returned at the end of the year because landlords claim that damage has been done to their properties. Clearly, students must take the blame when damage is done.

I hope a large number of Deputies and Senators will meet the USI representatives who are lobbying the Oireachtas today. The USI has been demanding action on the accommodation issue for some time. The problem must be resolved before enrolment in September. For this reason, the Minister must establish a student accommodation task force as soon as possible.

The issue of part-time students is not addressed in the Bill. In the United Kingdom, students studying part-time higher education courses may apply for non-repayable grants to cover tuition fees and other course-related costs. Many of those who decided to abandon their education in the middle of the Celtic tiger boom want to return to education. With the construction industry in decline, many workers in the sector have lost their jobs and wish to return to education. It is a pity funding is not available for this purpose because we must ensure this group is able to return to education. These people will have to be educated. That is very important. Fine Gael also proposed that the national training fund, NTF, be used to introduce a scheme for individuals who have not already benefited from higher education to pay for courses in higher education institutions taken on a part-time basis.

I want to address an issue in my constituency related to a third level college for Ennis. Much has been said on that over the past number of years. County Clare is expanding rapidly. We will have a railway line all the way from the west, particularly from Galway and Mayo, to Ennis and on to Limerick and Cork. Instead of students going to the various third level institutions, it would be nice if students could stay at home and attend a third level college in Ennis. The town of Ennis is an ideal location. The region has experienced a decline and it would be good to have a shift to the west rather than the east. The Shannon area is a key area for attracting new foreign investment and the supply of graduates. There is inadequate funding in education. Primary and secondary education is seriously underfunded. We have all put down parliamentary questions and made representations to Ministers on our primary and secondary schools. A long list of schools in County Clare need urgent facilities and buildings. There is also a problem in our third level colleges, which are underfunded. This threatens to interfere with quality and there is a significant case for investment. This was brought to my attention by the students today. There are outdated buildings, the libraries are understocked and classrooms are overcrowded. This must be addressed.

The students stated that Ireland's spend on third level education is below the OECD average as a proportion of GDP. While the Government provided €184 million for third level infrastructure in the 2008 budget, it is doubtful that this is sufficient to keep pace with third level college funding requirements after years of underfunding in the sector. This must be examined. With manufacturing industry moving out of Ireland we must always produce graduates who will meet the technology demands for modern industry.

The independent appeals board is part of this Bill and I welcome it. It is a good idea. We have all had cases in our constituencies of students who have been turned down for third level grants and have gone to appeal. In some cases they have been successful. I had a case of a constituent with learning difficulties who wanted to do a repeat course at third level and was deemed ineligible for the grant. Thankfully, he came out well from it but many students do not. Any decisions by the independent appeals board should be fair and equitable. That is very important for an appeals board.

I again welcome the Bill. I hope it goes quickly through the various Stages of the House and that it will come into place for the academic year of 2009-10. It will go some way towards helping students but much more is to be done, particularly on the grant, which is a maximum of €3,420, to deal with the high cost of accommodation. However, overall, I welcome and commend the Bill.

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