Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Students in third level and their families need to pay for accommodation along with enormous fees . The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has given no instruction to the colleges to return. I ask the Government to consider some kind of support packages for struggling families and students who have paid enormous accommodation costs as well as college fees. They are now being asked to pay for the next semester from January onwards. It is very unfair. Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí. We need to look after our young people. Other Deputies mentioned student nurses. This is shocking. They had a traumatic enough time in the past year and they face further uncertainty next year. Their families need to get some come-back on this funding. The private providers will not help out either. They are just taking the money. Students are at home, sometimes struggling to study from home, and not living in the rented accommodation. It is certainly very unfair.

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