Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I want to raise with the Minister for further and higher education the issue of the student contribution fee, and the reduction announced in the budget that reduces that fee by €1,000 for all students going to higher education and third level college. That was really welcome. It was a huge easing of a burden on students and their families at a time when cost-of-living pressures are very significant. Students really feel that intently when they are trying to do their studies.

I think an anomaly has popped up in the system that I am sure was not the intention of the Minister. I am asking that he reflects on and tries to address the matter in respect of students attending Marino Institute of Education. The difficulty there is that the Bachelor of Science in Education Studies and the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education are not covered. Those students will not receive the €1,000 reduction in their fees, while in the same higher education institute, students doing the Bachelor of Education and the Bachelor of Education Through the Medium of Irish will receive the €1,000 reduction. It appears to be an anomaly. I am sure the Minister will tell me that the institute is a private college and that it is not the same as some other third level institutions. While that might be the case, it might be more acceptable were it not for the fact that there are courses taking place in that college where students receive the €1,000 reduction and other students in the same building do not. There is a level of unfairness to it that is undoing a lot of good work that was done by Government in giving that amount of money.

In Government terms, €1,000 out of the education budget is quite minor, but what it means to a student going to college for the year is the difference in paying rent for a few months, buying food, paying for transport and just being able to afford to go to college. The students, understandably, are very frustrated by this, as are their teachers and lecturers. Last year, the college gave a once-off bursary to students who were unable to avail of grants, but it is just not in a position to repeat that and it had hoped that the Minister would include the students on those two courses, the Bachelor of Science in Education Studies and the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education.

I appeal to the Minister of State to ask the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy Harris, to look at this really small number of students in the grand scheme of things, and to think about the intention of this Government policy and what we were trying to do in the first place. We were trying to assist students with the cost of going to college, paying for fees, accommodation, food, transport and all of the things, and to help families. It was part of a wider cost-of-living package in the budget. As a Government, we are very proud of our cost-of-living measures and the package that we put together. In excess of €2 billion was put into those measures to assist families right across the country. I would be disappointed to see a good news story and a really good initiative and policy from the Minister, Deputy Harris, be tainted by this really small anomaly that is affecting a small number of students.

As I said, the teachers are fielding questions from students as to why they are not getting the fee reduction. There was an expectation that they would get it, so in some ways, as I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate, the money was nearly spent in their heads as to what it was going to go on in terms of costs for the year. To not get it, and to be heading into college knowing that other students and friends doing other courses in the same building are receiving it, is difficult. I appeal for sense and practicality and an air of logic to be brought to this. It is a very solvable problem. This is not permanent spending. It is not a huge amount of money, but it would mean a lot to those students and their families.

I also want to mention on the record the work of Councillor Frankie Keena, who has been working very closely with the college and the students. He brought this issue to me. He has shown me some of the distressing messages that he is getting from students. They would very much appreciate a positive answer and that every effort would be made to include them.