Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)

Tá áthas orm labhairt faoi tháillí na mic léinn anocht. Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh na mic léinn atá in éineacht linn tráthnóna. I support the motion, particularly the call to introduce a cost-of-living package which would cancel the scheduled €1,000 fee hike and reduce fees by a further €500, meaning the maximum fee this September would be €1,500 instead of €3,000. It is very unfair not to reduce student fees. I have so many families coming to me in distress and despair, and these are families who are working. They work hard but they feel they are punished for working as they are being taxed to the hilt, Some families are trapped in lower socioeconomic groups. It is so unfair that they are punished. We need to break the cycle of disadvantage and we do that by supporting students and not punishing families who work hard and pay their taxes.

There has to be a reversal of the ludicrous decision not to reduce the student fees this year. I call on the Government to reduce those fees to make it fair. It may be unpalatable for some to hear that I have had countless parents contact me, as I said, following my discovery through parliamentary questions last May that almost €9 million was paid by the Department of further and higher education in 2022 and 2023 in monthly stipends to Ukrainian students who are currently under temporary protection. The system is divisive. Those are not comments. My comments are facts. The system is very divisive when the Government can give to one category of students but deny another. A further €10 million was paid out on other schemes covering post-leaving certificate courses. I will end on that.

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