Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is time for there to be more regulation within the higher education sector to ensure that third level is accessible for everyone. Cork is very well known as a beacon of education, with both University College Cork and Munster Technological University recognised regularly on the world stage for their academics, both in teaching and research. Unfortunately, on the north side, in the heart of Cork, we have low levels of university attendance and we do not have a single university campus. In the initial planning stages of BusConnects, for example, there was not one single direct route from the north side to MTU. I have objected to that and I have asked for it to be included in the next plans because it shows the attitude that students on the north side are facing. If one student can live at home, wake up at 8 a.m. and get a bus to college, and another living the same geographical distance from that college has to get up at 7 a.m. and get two or three buses to college, we cannot deny there are barriers. I have repeatedly reached out to MTU to request a meeting to discuss this. Unfortunately, I have not received more than a courteous reply. I have met with UCC but, disappointingly, it is not considering expanding into the north side, despite it acknowledging the benefits this could have and the low level of third level attendance.

It is time for the Minister and the Higher Education Authority under its new powers to intervene and instruct both colleges to open campuses on the north side and send a clear message to young people and everyone else on the north side not only that they can go to university but that they belong in university, if they wish. The 20x20 concept for women in sport is “If you can see it, you can be it.” This also applies to students on the north side.

As we are talking about barriers to college and the issues that the Higher Education Authority needs to address, it is very important that we recognise that to have the leaving certificate going ahead in the traditional format this year will stop some young students from attending third level. We have spoken about youth mental health. For students in sixth year, what we are hearing and seeing is the stress they are facing ahead of their leaving certificate and the anxiety this is causing them. It is having a huge effect on their mental health. There are students who possibly have not had normal school since junior certificate and some of them have not even had a junior certificate, yet the Minister expects those students to walk into examination halls in June and perform to the highest level. I believe the Government and the Department are wrong and that they should be going ahead with a hybrid leaving certificate. Otherwise, those most affected by the pandemic are likely to lose out the most. Every single sixth-year student has had a Covid-19 education and deserves recognition of that. Let us listen to them. All they are asking is that this be resolved now and that it not be like the last two years, when students were campaigning, with Sinn Féin support, for last-minute decisions to come in.

Third level education is not for everyone but everyone should have equal and fair access to it. I know this from personal experience. When I came out of school, I went straight to work at 18. I did not go to third level until I was 33, when I went to MTU, then the Cork Institute of Technology, CIT, at night. Given the difference it made to me personally to be able to do that, I want to give every student that opportunity. It can be a life-changing experience to go to third level and that is why I feel it is important that everyone has that opportunity.

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