Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. Let me be really clear. While I am proud of the SUSI support scheme, which supports tens of thousands of students who may not otherwise be able to access higher education, that is not to say that I believe the current system is satisfactory, because I do not. A key commitment in the programme for Government was to carry out a comprehensive review of SUSI and how it operates. That is now coming to fruition. It is interesting to note that we had over 9,000 responses to that survey, mainly from students. There were also 250 written submissions from groups ranging from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to IBEC. All of them gave their views on establishing a student grant support scheme that would be fit for purpose. With that report landing alongside the sustainable funding model in the autumn, I believe we will be able to get to the point the Deputy has spoken about. I often make the point to Cabinet colleagues and to anyone else who will listen that while we spend a lot of money on education, it is an investment. It is an investment not just in our people and our citizens, but in our future economic well-being. The battle for the future well-being of this country will rely on human capital and investing in people. I know the Deputy and I share that view.

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