Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to call on the Minister for Education and Skills to attend the House to discuss the increasing cost of third level education and its growing unaffordability. Today, the students of Ireland are marching on the Dáil to talk about the impact this is having on their lives. I have just heard that my son is among them. I feel I should be marching on the Dáil as a parent on foot of the cost of third level education. There is a €3,000 student registration fee and many of our kids are dropping out because they are making poor choices. There is a repeat tuition fee where a student made a poor choice the first time around, which costs upwards of €3,000. That is before the student gets money for bus fares, accommodation, a cup of coffee and food.

Let us call a spade a spade. Education is meant to be a right, not a privilege. Third level education provides us with our edge as a nation and it is critical to keep students in college. Students are dropping out for two reasons - poor choices at second level due to the lack of appropriate career guidance and because they cannot afford to stay. Parents feel it. We must make decisions as a nation. We have a budget next week in respect of which I really hope the Minister takes this matter into account when looking at maintenance grants and the very hefty student registration fee. I look forward to hearing from the Leader in respect of my proposal to amend the Order of Business.