Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Minister has acknowledged that fees are too high and I agree that they are too high across the island and need to be reduced. There is no comparison between the two jurisdictions given we do not, as yet, have control of exchequer finances in the North. In a recent survey of students carried out by Sinn Féin, 70% said that they have lost employment opportunities. This has compounded everything this year because they do not have the jobs now that they previously had. One of my questions regarding Covid payments for students and whether they are to be continued and be taken into account in regard to fees, has been transferred to the Department of Employment Affair and Social Protection. A reduction in fees by, say, €500 this year would cost €39.3 million. While I welcome all of the announcements the Minister has made, they need to relate to tangible measures that students can access because too many people are excluded from SUSI as it is and they have significant bills coming in the door next week.

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