Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I move amendment No. 34:

In page 33, line 42, after "persons" to insert the following:

", and its members shall include such number of student representatives (including at least 2 student representatives nominated by the Union of Students in Ireland) as shall ensure that each sitting or division of the Appeals Board includes at least one student representative".

This is a belt and braces issue. The amendment provides for public and political recognition in statute of the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, which is an integral part of the educational infrastructure. It should have statutory rights in this regard. I do not suggest that the Minister would fail in the normal course to invite suggestions from the union to nominate representatives. There is precedent for the appointments of students to the boards of the universities prior to the Universities Act 1997. The amendment provides for a move from grace and favour to rights, from lord of the manor to a republic, where an organisation is statutorily entitled to nominate two representatives to the appeals board.

This will perform two functions, which will not take from the Minister's discretion. It will, first, recognise the way in which USI has behaved, and is behaving, responsibly as a partner in the education system. We are dealing with young adults who have the right to vote, to get married and to join the Defence Forces. They are not children and this should be recognised in law. They will not be the only members of the appeals board but they will probably be the most knowledgeable about the conditions endured by students applying for a grant. Older, though not necessarily wiser, heads will be on the board as well. This would be a reasonable recognition of people who are education partners. The Minister has met USI representatives formally and informally on a number of occasions and the amendment will only confirm in statute what she is already doing. In what way could this restrict or prevent a future Minister from exercising his or her duties?

This would mean a great deal to USI because there has been a fluctuation in the affiliation of individual college unions to the organisation. The history of the organisation has been up and down in that respect. USI has moved from the street into the boardroom in many respects. It is a partner at third level and when the Hunt report is finally published, much more co-operation will be needed. USI has a representative on the Hunt committee. I only ask the Minister to provide in statute for what she is doing in practice. It may be a relatively minor issue as far as she is concerned and it will not cause a revolution on Marlborough Street because it would take much more than that, but it would send a signal to USI and individual student unions that the body is a serious statutorily recognised partner in education endeavour.

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