Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

The Minister has said that one of his priorities, regardless of the system that is in place, will be to maximise the number of students who reach third level. Does he agree with the Provost of Trinity College, who spoke about the notion that those who can really afford to pay for third level education should have to do so once more? Surely that would be a positive move. Most of us accept that, as research has shown, private second level education has mushroomed since third level fees were abolished. It is obvious that parents are using the money they were going to use for their children's third level education to send them to private secondary schools. The Minister will accept that the more private schools, as opposed to State schools, we have at secondary level, the more social division is created in our society. Does he agree that the notion of reintroducing fees for those who can really pay them is a good one?

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