Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for the constructive questions and points. Let me be clear at the outset: nobody believes students are commodities and nobody has a monopoly of concern for them. In the past two weeks, I have been meeting virtually with students in Cavan, Longford and in Donegal, with six student unions and in the Deputy's constituency in Ballinrobe. The Deputy is right that it is an extremely tough and difficult time for students and for everybody in the State. I genuinely welcome the work the Deputy has done on the mental health and well-being study and I thank her for sending it to me. The Deputy will be aware that I have established a group, chaired by the USI, namely, the well-being and student engagement group. We are currently seeking submissions to see what more can be done to support students now. We will feed the Deputy's findings and submission into that process. It is trying to do two things, one of which is to map out the services that are already there. I share the Deputy's view that not every student can easily find or access some of the existing services that are there. Second, we will identify what more needs to be done. We have provided €5 million of funding for student mental health services. I am hearing from some students the significant benefit of that but I accept there is more we need to do.

I take the point about broadband and some of those broader challenges around remote working and remote studying. I am concerned that there would be any student in higher education without access to a laptop. We have purchased 17,000 laptops. If the Deputy will give me some examples of that issue privately I would be very happy to follow up directly on that.

The Deputy had two specific questions also. On the disability piece I acknowledge the advocacy the Deputy carried out on behalf of Catherine Gallagher and Muireann Cosgrave. This falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and I am pleased that she has moved swiftly in planning to amend the regulations. The idea that a student who does well will have supports taken away, thereby leaving him or her between a rock and a hard place is, I believe, a clear poverty trap. I thank the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, for the actions she has taken on this. There are a couple more things that I can do within my Department. There is a review of Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, under way, with public consultation opening on Friday. This is a chance to look at any of the anomalies there. A new national access plan is being prepared this year and we are very eager to engage with the Deputy on that. I have also asked my Department specifically to draw up proposals to ensure we can get more people with disabilities into higher education.

I will gather the data on the medical students figures from each of the medical colleges and I will write to the Deputy with the numbers of places created last year and the cost.

The student accommodation Bill is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This is not to pass the buck, it is just a statement of fact that it is housing legislation. I believe the issue should be looked at very seriously. There is a lot of sense in what students are trying to achieve in this regard. I have spoken to my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and he is actively considering it.

See this speech in context