Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was the first person in my family to go to university and I am very proud of that. I said it before on the record of the House. When I graduated, albeit a small bit after I could have, shall we say, it was a very proud day for me and my family. I experienced third level as what we might call a straightforward student, or one going straight from secondary school to university. I returned to university at the age of 21, after my daughter was born, to finish my degree. I also went on to do a master's degree. I have seen it from both sides; I know what it is like to come in straight from school, which is grand, and how to do it as a mature student with a small child, which was challenging but extremely worthwhile. When studying for my undergraduate and master's degrees, I worked in UCD. I worked in catering, security and administration for a while. Back then, the jobs in UCD were considered very good but, thinking back now, it was the start of the introduction of precarious work, fixed-term contracts and the commodification of the work of educators. That was in the early to mid-1990s.

I have seen the very positive impact that access to third level education can have and it can be transformative, particularly for people who come from disadvantaged working class communities. There is power in education and the confidence it gives to people. It is something we must share because it is so important and valuable. I was very lucky to work in the education sector for a number of years when I was with a small independent college. I also worked for the Higher Education and Training Awards Council for a number of years, which is now Quality and Qualifications Ireland. That gave me insight into how the education system works, and sometimes does not work, for learners, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Towards the end of my time as a union organiser, I spent two and a half years in the education sector representing people in the education and training boards, institutes of technology and the university sector. That was an eye-opener all right. There was a quality in the job and I saw the erosion of what would have been considered very good jobs by precarious contracts, people not being paid over the summer or as-and-when-required contracts. This was in an area it would genuinely not be expected; as a union official, I certainly did not expect it.

This is on the Minister, the Government, aided and abetted by its previous partners in government, namely, those in the Labour Party, and Fianna Fáil. There is a crisis in the education sector and it is no longer considered a great place to work, although it should be. It does not have that reputation any more. Between registration fees, textbooks, the cost of transport and rent, many families cannot afford to send their kids to college. They are looking at taking out loans so their kids can access college. On the flip side, the quality of jobs at third level is being eroded.

We all know some students being forced to undertake significant part-time jobs. I referred to my working in catering at UCD, which was handy because I could fit in shifts around my work. Not everybody gets those kinds of jobs. More and more we are hearing of students having to undertake what is effectively full-time work, which cannot really be done if that person is trying to study. I do not have technical or scientific qualifications - it is a general arts degree - but I would not have been able to do that and work full-time. That is impossible but many students are forced to undertake it because the parents simply do not have the cash to be able to keep them attending college.

Before the recent explosion in inflation, parents and students were struggling, and they will struggle even more now, with rent and transport costs.

All of these costs are absolutely crippling parents. It should not be the case that a young person who is preparing for the leaving certificate examination or a mature person who is considering going back to college should have to worry about where the money is going to come from for third level. Students who are sitting the leaving certificate examination in a few days from now should not be thinking they would love to go to college but that they must not ask their parents for support because they just cannot afford it.

I welcome the Minister's indication that he will publish a cost of education paper. I urge him to listen to the voices of the Irish Second-Level Students Union, the Union of Students in Ireland and, indeed, the trade unions representing workers in the education sector. He must work with them to take what can be learned from the report, and he must implement it to ensure access to education is for everybody.

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