James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

11 o’clock

I think the Deputy has got to the heart of the recent debate; he has actually nailed it. It is so important that with whatever intervention we make around fees, grants or supports, we understand what the policy objective is. Is it to broaden the net? Is it to give something to everybody? Is it to give most to those who need it most? Is it to bring into the system people who would not otherwise have access third level education? Is it about a life-changing intervention for a family who has never had anybody go to college before? Is it for mature students who want to make the leap to return to college, perhaps after having been in the workforce? Let us be clear on the policy objectives and the problems we are trying to solve. If we are clear about those, we can design and tailor an intervention to match. Along those lines, I have instructed my Department to prepare research on the impact of various interventions and the levers we can pull, in addition to the policy consequences of those levers. I will include the Deputy’s position in the mix because it is important.

If I understand the Deputy’s point on mature students correctly, mature students seem to have proportionately benefited even more from some of the measures than others. That is an interesting point.

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