Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Those statistics around the European Union only hold up because the United Kingdom and, sadly, Northern Ireland are no longer in the European Union. We certainly will not implement the system that the UK and Northern Ireland has for student loans. I do not believe in them or that they work. I have yet to see a country that has implemented this successfully. I also do not like the concept because it could have an adverse impact on people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who tend to be more risk-averse in taking on debt. I do not support that. I cannot go further only to say we should settle the question. We have had enough all-party committees and we must move forward on this.

The Union of Students in Ireland, USI, and others have called for a reduction in the student registration fee and it would probably have been a politically popular act. I had to make the decision and I made the point to the USI very publicly and clearly. I thought in the first instance we should look at some things that had not been done in a long number of years that directly affect the most disadvantaged students in our country. I am sure the Deputy as a social democrat would agree with the increasing of access of those most in need, whether they are students from the Travelling or Roma communities, students with disabilities or students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These are the measures we have taken in the very first instance but we want to do more and build on this. We want to ensure cost is never a barrier for anyone entering third level.

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