Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As I have experience of working in a trade union, I know we are not going to solve everything by an amendment or wording but it certainly gives greater protection to student unions. If this amendment is not passed, we will see universities and institutions nominating representative body "X", whoever that might be, and students would be then be forced to either accept it or have no representation. We are going down a very dangerous path. I accept that it does not solve all problems but student unions do have some recognition and this merely involves adding three or four more sentences to what is in the Bill. I do not see how it would delay the Bill any further. It is an amendment that is quite progressive and makes a lot of sense. If we are looking at our education system and trying to make it somewhat progressive, we should be looking at representing students. There was a lot of talk about the TUI and staff, and that is very important but we need to take the student voices into account. I feel strongly that having a representative body does not go far enough. It leaves the power to decide who will represent students completely in the hands of the institution when the students should be making that decision.

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