Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This afternoon the Union of Students of Ireland, USI, will hold a demonstration which will move from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square to highlight students' objection to any prospect of a "study now, pay later" model being introduced for third level education. The demonstration is a response to the Cassels report published earlier this year which suggested that one possible solution to third level funding problems would be the introduction of an income contingent loan scheme. Such a scheme would effectively mean hiking fees up to €5,000 per annum, thereby leaving students with debts of up to €25,000 on graduation. This figure does not take into consideration the cost of accommodation and living expenses incurred during four years of study. Third level education is already a two-tier system in which some can afford to go to college, while others are forced to miss out, emigrate or enter low paid employment. An income contingent loan scheme would exacerbate existing inequalities in the third level education system. Those who would find the money to afford such a scheme would become members of a generation of young people who would have an education mortgage hanging from around their necks. Such a scheme would condition young people to take the first job that came along, regardless of whether it paid low wages or had poor working conditions, all of which would result in young workers undervaluing their worth in the labour force.

It is great that the Union of Students of Ireland has organised today's march and good that it has the support of SIPTU, IMPACT, the TUI, the National Youth Council of Ireland and Sinn Féin Republican Youth. This issue goes to the heart of the ideological difference between the parties. We know that the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, is very much in the neoliberal wing of the Fine Gael Party and chomping at the bit to introduce a student loan scheme, whereas those of us on the left believe in building equality into the education system. I call on the Leader to ask the Minister back to the House for a decent debate on the proposed loan system in order that we can find out where each of the parties stands on the matter.