Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, for giving us this opportunity to discuss the things we need to do to help youngsters.

In 1956, my late father started operating a school bus service to Kilgarvan National School. Since he gave it up, I have been doing it. It has given me great pride to see them starting out so small getting onto the bus or, as it was then, the school car and the way many of them have finished up - accountants, solicitors, teachers, you name it. You would be proud to have assisted them in any way back along the line.

What we are talking about is to do more for children. I suppose the main thing is to keep them occupied. You find that may be easier on a farm or whatever, where they all have jobs to do. It is very important that youngsters are allowed work. There is an obstacle that bars restaurants and hotels from employing 14-year-olds, 15-year-olds and 16-year-olds. We do not want to kill them with work or anything, but they would be all the better for it. They would be learning something - how to do the different jobs or whatever.

Sport is very important. I see young fellows who I brought to school a few years ago playing hurling at the weekends. They are fine men and doing a great job. You would be proud of them.

There are issues in respect of affordable accommodation for students going to college. A group of girls and boys from Killarney came up here outside the Dáil on Thursday of week last. They have to drive from Kerry up to Cork because they cannot get accommodation. That is a desperate strain on them to drive up in the morning before college and drive back down after it, and try to study, get ready and get out on the road the next day. That is very hard on them.

The other issue is that they are deprived of the opportunity to work during their holidays because they are not allowed to earn more than €4,500. It is very wrong to stop youngsters from working. If they earn a bit more than that, there should be no regulation stopping them from doing so. Whatever they earn at that age should not be counted when they are applying for the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant. It is important to get fellows to work when they are young because if they go on after college and they have not worked a little bit, they certainly will not start then. It is very important that obstacle be removed and taken out of the SUSI grant equation. I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, to look at the matter.

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