Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 67, to delete line 29 and substitute the following:

"(b) at least two people who are representatives of learners.".

I welcome the Minister of State. I spoke on this matter on Second Stage and I will not repeat what I said at that point. The purpose of the Bill is to improve the student experience and to ensure the education students across the entire sector are receiving is top class. The authority is to have eight members and we are of the view that two of them should be students. This is particularly the case because the newly constituted authority will have responsibility for an extremely diverse sector which will encompass everything from further education right up to fourth level postgraduate education. We are of the view that students from across the sector should be represented on the authority.

I was a student representative for two years and I am aware that it can be extremely lonely when there is only one student voice present. It is important to ensure there is very effective, rather than token, student representation on the authority. That is why we suggest two student representatives should be appointed. I hope the Minister of State can accept the amendment. As there will be eight members of the authority, appointing the two individuals to whom I refer would mean students would form one quarter of the overall membership.