Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A Deputy drew the Minister of State's attention to the fact that third level pharmacy students are being asked to pay big fees for their final year before qualification. The Minister was to address that issue. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil-led Governments cut third level funding by a third during the austerity years. We need an extra €600 million. Although people know what is needed, it is a key vital service that people are prepared to support. With regard to the improvement of access in areas of north and west Dublin, Waterford, Cork, the midlands and all around the country, it would be a disastrous route to follow as many counties have a poor enough third level record. We had the example in New Zealand where people were being stopped at the airport and not being allowed to leave the country because they owed income-contingent loans. I urge the Minister to abandon the idea. I hope the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, will not come in to the House, as he did the other morning on another matter, and announce something on this education matter without consulting both the Minister and Minister of State.

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