James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, the programme for Government will be honoured. The programme for Government commits to a reduction in the student contribution fee in a financially sustainable way, which I will do, of course. I am not going to renege on a programme for Government commitment. I am going to follow it fully but how do we do that? Is it abolition, as Deputy Boyd Barrett argues for? That is €1.5 billion every Government term. How many student accommodation beds could we build for €1.5 billion? How many courses could we provide, and how many more SUSI grants could we provide? What other ways could we usefully deploy that money? Would every recipient of that €1.5 billion be categorised as somebody in need? In a universal scheme, I think probably not. These are the conversations that we have to have. If we could even progress the measures which support those most in need and address access to education in a financially sustainable way, we will have these conversations. I am holding an event next week to start that conversation.

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