Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

I join with my colleagues, Senator O'Donovan and Senator Whelan, in expressing concern about the trainee pilots. Eighty-five thousand euro is a great deal of money for people to invest only to find they are keeping their side of the bargain but the people who agree to provide the training are not keeping their side of the bargain. It is important that there is a full investigation into this matter and a debate on it in the House.

I raise the issue of the decision by Allied Irish Banks to withdraw the medical graduate loan scheme. It has decided it will no longer provide loans for students who want to train to be medical doctors here. It is extremely disappointing that a bank which is owned by the Irish taxpayer has decided it will not provide funds for young people who want to train to be doctors here. It is sad that this bank has decided to withdraw the loan scheme and not provide funding for people who have the necessary criteria to get into college and who want to further their careers by obtaining a medical degree. If they cannot get a job here they can get a job anywhere in the world with a degree from an Irish university. This move is extremely disappointing. We should ask the Minister for Finance to come into the House to deal with this matter and discuss the reason the bank has taken this decision when all the other banks have decided to provide loans for students attending Irish universities.