In common with a number of Members of the Oireachtas and many people throughout the country, I was disappointed that the student summer jobs scheme was abolished. In recent years the numbers participating in the scheme have fallen sharply, mainly because there was plenty of well paid employment available elsewhere. Regardless of whether it was the original intention, there were two main beneficiaries of the scheme, namely, the students and the sponsoring bodies. While these were mainly voluntary organisations, they were always groups who had some benefit to pass on to the community.