Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)

To add a comment to the other topics, in relation to the electricity connections, we need to talk a little bit about data centres given the rolling cuts we all saw yesterday and the fact we have had a massive escalation in energy and electricity demand from it, over 200% of an increase. It is an elephant in the room and it needs to be addressed. Even in Portlaoise, where there is apparently a difficulty in connecting houses, there are new data centres going in there. We have to be honest, that if we bring in something that is using 21% and might use 30% of our electricity, that is having an impact on our electricity security and needs serious, genuine thought and action.

Regarding visas, I hope we can have a compassionate approach over the summer. We are seeing too many situations in relation to medical visas and student visas for travel. These are students from Palestine who hope to start in September and who are still waiting for their visas and to make transport arrangements, and, of course, it relates to the planned GAA tour. I am genuinely hoping these will be addressed. I really urge Government members to press the Minister so that we would not have a rolling series of heartbreaks over the summer but actual humanity shown to the extremely small numbers who have managed to find a possible way to travel and to live normal lives in these horrendous times.

I want to quickly speak to the cost of fees and the changes relating to them. We know Ireland massively underspends on higher education. We are at 3.2%. The European average is 4.5% with many countries well over that. The cost and the knock-on effect of the gap that has been identified in terms of higher education funding has come to press those who are working in the institutions through the insecurity of their contracts but also, crucially, the impact is being felt by students. Bearing in mind we are meant to have free higher education in Ireland which was the goal many years ago and the breakthrough, the idea is that taking fees from €3,000 to €2,000 was made as a cost-of-living measure and that it would now be removed when we know the cost of living has not gone down at all, particularly not for students in terms of accommodation. Research from NUI Galway found student accommodation costs in Ireland and Dublin are among the highest in the European Union. The general cost of living for Ireland is also one of the highest costs in the European Union. Students are incredibly burdened by the cost of undertaking education. The Minister, Deputy Browne, said there would be no exemptions or supports from the reforms in rental pressure zones. Landlords will be able to raise rents as they see fit for all new tenancies. PhD students, who are carrying out some of the most important research here in Ireland, are often receiving just €22,000 per annum or €1,830 per month to survive and live on. I appeal that we have, even at this late stage, a debate on this before we rise for the recess. The idea of layering an extra €1,000 a year on students who are already struggling means we will have students losing out and we will lose out on the diversity of those taking part in higher education, and that has a knock-on effect for society which is deeply negative.