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

The issue is that institutions have overpromised and the Department must take some responsibility for that, as with the accommodation matter. Many of the students and parents I have spoken to feel they were misled. We cannot treat universities, institutes of technology and private colleges like primary or post-primary schools. They are marketing very expensive courses and that is what they sold. The students are not getting what they paid for. In many or all cases, they made promises that could not be delivered.

I understand Covid-19 adds an element of uncertainty but many of us back in September could see this overpromising. Students have a right to expect to pay less for a reduced service. These courses were sold on the basis of glossy brochures of the experience these students would have. It is not the institutions' fault they were not able to deliver the experience but they should reimburse some of that money at this stage.

See this speech in context