Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are times when we in this country seem to go out of our way to make ourselves look stupid. There was a perception from some people around the world, unfortunately, that Irish people were stupid. I do not believe that but there are times when I think successive Governments go out of their way to prove it correct.

In September 1989 I went to college and - some things never change - I got my grant in the middle of November. By the time November had come, I was sick and tired of college, something I went into with great enthusiasm, and my family were sick and tired of college because I would be coming home every week with the long face on me, looking for money that was not there. The purpose of going to college was pretty much put on the back-burner, namely, the purpose of educating myself.

The best way to educate oneself is in an environment where there is a minimum amount of stress. For 23 years now, the same thing has been going on. I actually failed that year. I found the transition from secondary school to third level quite difficult but this made it even more difficult. The following year, I went to Sligo RTC, now Sligo IT, and - guess what - the grant came in at the end of November. Many of my classmates dropped out, although I did not drop out because I had got used to it from the previous year. Despite the amount of resources put in through the lecturers, who it could be argued are paid too much in the first place, and through building and heating the colleges and all of that investment, the Government cannot get the little bit right it needs to get right, the bit whereby the students have the money when they need it.

I was at a meeting in Athlone last night where Deputy James Bannon suggested we go back to the old system. I do not really care what system is used so long as it works. However, in Ireland we have this habit of claiming things are impossible that are not impossible in other countries. At this stage, I believe the Government has convinced the public it is impossible to run a health service. Even though they are run in other countries such as Germany and Holland and all over the world, we have this lame excuse that is very difficult. How difficult is it? It was not difficult for the Government to get into our bank accounts all the various different payments it pays me and everyone else in this House. We are talking about one payment in this case, yet it cannot get it right.

I heard one of the Deputies suggesting people have a problem filling in forms. There are two sides to this. There is a problem in the way forms are designed. They are designed in a way that suggests the person who designed them never filled in a form in their life. Just get this right. There is no point even telling them how to get it right. It should be obvious. Just get the money out to these people.

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