Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members who spoke on this motion and for the support of Deputy O’Brien’s party and the Independents. I must also acknowledge the efforts of Deputy O’Brien and the chairman of the education committee, Deputy Tuffy, for bringing SUSI before the committee to get to the bottom of this matter. This is what the Minister, Deputy Quinn, and his political team and Ministers of State should have been doing a long time ago. I commend those student unions working with the many students in distress as a result of this crisis created by the Government’s inaction and inattention. Many of them have been in contact with me and other Deputies seeking a resolution to this problem. I welcome many of them to the Visitors Gallery tonight. I also commend my colleagues in Ógra Fianna Fáil on bringing this matter to my attention.

I welcome the humble approach taken by the Minister, Deputy Quinn, in the Chamber last night when he apologised for the financial distress many students find themselves in as a result of these delays in processing their grants. I also welcome him taking responsibility for this issue.

Unfortunately, that has been the case on too many occasions in the past and it is the case again with this Government. We saw an example of it last week involving the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, with regard to the children's referendum whereby there was a refusal to take political responsibility. Nothing drives the public as mad as people not taking responsibility for things they should be doing. It was only right for the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, to have taken responsibility for this issue and for the crisis that has been created. It was created due to his inaction and his refusal to get involved or take control. He should have done so weeks ago before this became the crisis it is now whereby only 3,000 students of the 66,000 who have applied are in receipt of their grant.

Yesterday on "Morning Ireland" the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, commented that he was not entirely sure why there was a backlog. That was yesterday morning. Last night in the Dáil after he made his apology to me he stated: "I will be having a conversation with SUSI and, on foot of this Legislature stating publicly and democratically that we have a problem, I will ask officials whether they need additional resources." Last night the Minister, Deputy Quinn, said that because the Dáil told him there was a problem he would talk to Student Universal Support Ireland. However, had he listened to students and other Deputies he would have started discussions with SUSI weeks ago. Deputy O'Mahony, who contributed to the debate earlier, raised the matter as a topical issue three weeks ago. I raised it as a topical issue along with Deputy Nolan as well. Had the Minister been listening rather than hiding from his responsibility to monitor what was going on we would not have found ourselves in the quandary we are in today, nor would the many students throughout the country who are struggling to continue to keep themselves in college as we come up to Christmas. I put it to the Minister that he should have intervened before now. He replied across the floor of the Dáil that, "There was no reason for me to intervene". That was his response. He then went on to tell the House that he expected 33,000 students to have their grants confirmed before Christmas. He used the word "confirmed". I asked him whether he could guarantee that. His response in the Dáil last night was, "I would love to say that I am satisfied but I cannot do so because I do not know".

It is only right that he apologised for the debacle up to this point. Unfortunately, taking responsibility is not simply about been man enough to take responsibility or the blame for where we are. It is also about taking responsibility for sorting out the problem. It was obvious from the Minister's contribution last night that he has not yet taken responsibility. It is obvious from the response of the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, that this is still the case. The Minister of State has made a fresh commitment that 33,000 will be paid as opposed to the Minister's commitment last night that 33,000 would be confirmed. It is obvious that the Government has not yet taken control of this problem. As a result, no one can assure the students here tonight and throughout Ireland that they will get their grant before Christmas. It is clear from this debacle that many will be waiting to be paid their grant until well after Christmas.

The Minister should take responsibility to deliver a solution rather than simply take the responsibility of the blame. The Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, along with the Minister, Deputy Quinn, and the other Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Sherlock, make up the team in the Department. They should sit down with SUSI and work out what is required to ensure that the students who depend on the assistance of the State to stay in college get it quickly and before Christmas.

The way the Government has gone about this will ensure the crisis will continue. It is simply not good enough. I hope the Minister of State will take away the message given tonight by all Deputies in the House and by many in the Gallery that this must be resolved. The Minister of State should take that message and find a solution such that the students of Ireland are paid their grants and can stay in college. They should be relieved of the financial desperation that many are experiencing as a result of the ineptitude of the Government up to now.

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