James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

Actually, that is exactly what happened. It was said and it happened in the last three budgets. Exactly the same process is playing out in this year as it did in every other year.

I have listened with great sympathy and great interest to, and I have taken note of the detail of, many of the cases raised in debates in the House and elsewhere and a great number of students and their families are already receiving significant supports. Of course, €1,000 is a lot of money and of course they are paying additional fees, but we have to acknowledge that a huge number of students are not paying fees at all or in full because there are already such significant supports.

The income thresholds is €115,000. That is a reasonably good salary. It is not controversial to say that. The threshold for student supports is €115,000.

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