Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Does the Taoiseach think the students who are taking to the streets to protest in Cork or are mobilising in colleges across the country are making it up? They are in a desperate situation because of the inadequacy of grants, student poverty and now the crisis in the processing of their inadequate grants. Does the Taoiseach acknowledge on any level this is connected to the so-called reform of the public service? This pattern has been repeated in applications for medical cards and the domiciliary care allowance. Whenever citizens seek support and assistance from the State they are faced with the same refusals and backlogs of appeals. It is because of inadequate staffing and resources and the centralisation of this process. It is not working.

He can dress it up as reform, but in reality it is cuts. It is not working and is plunging students into a desperate and unsustainable situation. The Government should provide the resources and the funds.

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