Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I am bit confused about the review he outlined. It is happening in parallel with the work of the Oireachtas committee in respect of the Cassells report. It seems it will cover much of the same ground. The question will relate to a student loan scheme that is a consideration. It appears that the view of all the major parties is that the student loan scheme is the way to go and that kicking it to the committee is a way of trying to lengthen the decision-making process. In light of the fact that in the UK in 2015, student loan debt was £86 billion and the Union of Students in Ireland has estimated that under a student loan scheme, a graduating student could pay anywhere between €100 to €150 per month in student debt repayments, I want to find out whether the Department is actively considering a student loan scheme and whether the review will look at rolling it out.

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