Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá mise agus mo pháirtí tar éis na leasuithe seo a leagan síos ionas go mbeidh cinnteacht i gceist do mhic léinn ó Tuaisceart Éireann agus ón Bhreatain i gcás na táillí a chaithfidh siad a íoc. Tá neamhchinnteacht maidir leis an gceist seo soiléir faoi láthair. Aontaím leis an Teachta Cullinane go mbraitheann an reachtaíocht seo ar an mBreatain ag titim amach as an Aontas Eorpach gan chonradh. Ag an am céanna, toisc go bhfuil neamhchinnteacht ann maidir leis na táillí a bheidh á n-íoc ag mic léinn ó Tuaisceart Éireann agus ón Bhreatain, tá sé i gceist ag níos lú daoine teacht ag staidéar in Éirinn amach anseo. Admhaím gur thug an tAire gealltanas dóibh siúd atá ag tosú i mbliana nach mbeidh táillí iasachta nó táillí neamh-Aontas Eorpach acu ar feadh tréimhse an chúrsa iomlán. Measaim go bhfuil sé tábhachtach go mbeadh cinnteacht ag na daoine a thiocfaidh ina dhiaidh sin agus iad ag teacht anseo, ionas go mbeidís in ann pleanáil a dhéanamh. Tá muidne ag rá go bhfuil na doirse oscailte dár muintir i dTuaisceart Éireann, dár muintir sa Bhreatain agus do mhuintir na Breataine uilig.

These amendments deal with an issue I have pressed before and the Minister has given certainty in respect of fees for students from the North of Ireland and from Great Britain starting this year and for the duration of their courses. I acknowledge that. The fact that there is uncertainty about the position of the State after that is damaging. It is saying that our doors are closed. As Deputy Cullinane said, this is predicated on a no-deal Brexit. We need to be as certain as possible that, regardless of what happens, the free movement of students, North and South, east and west, continues and that we in this House do what we can to ensure that. We cannot control everything. We cannot control what the British are doing but I hope if this amendment is accepted by the House that there would be ongoing reciprocity on this. Perhaps the Minister could set out what discussions he has had on this issue with his British counterpart and with parties in the North.

If amendment No. 39 is accepted, I am not sure about amendment No. 40. I will consider that when I hear what the Minister says. It is really a belt and braces approach and I do not want to put extra work on civil servants in respect of producing reports, if that is unnecessary. It is important to give that certainty in legislation and do something practical for students from the North and from Great Britain. I accept that the details would have to be worked out by the Minister but if this amendment is agreed to at least we can say definitively to students from the North and from Britain that they can come here to study on the same basis as they have always done here. We have done it in respect of SUSI grants and now we are doing in respect of fees.

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