Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Would it be possible to bring the Minister with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science, Deputy Harris, to the House? I am echoing the sentiments of Senator Pauline O'Reilly in speaking up for our third level students. They are in the most invidious of positions because two of their academic years have now been affected. There are great supports for them and there is no doubt that the Minister has brought in great things. The injection of €50 million in the budget was great and equated, in the instances of some students to whom I have spoken, to them receiving €250 back.The problem, however, is that many of them have paid up front for accommodation and are not getting that accommodation refunded, yet they are not allowed on campus. That mechanism, therefore, is not working. They cannot work in part-time jobs and their whole lives have been disrupted at a time when they are not on campus to receive their lectures, so they are not getting the benefit even of the discussions among themselves that might happen when they are coming out of lecture theatres or sitting around the coffee dock. They are not getting the additional growth and development that normally comes from campus life.

At the beginning of this academic year, they were promised they would attend one lecture session on campus per week, but unfortunately that has not transpired, although that is for good reason, given that we are in level 5. This is a group whom the media and people in general are quick to criticise if there is a social gathering, even though the vast majority are trying to get their qualifications. If they are final year students, they may be worried about what the next year will hold for them, what they will do after college, whether there will be jobs, what the prospects will be and what their future will look like. At a time when the world should be their oyster, it is not. We need to address that and have the Minister hear statements from us on that.