Laura Harmon
Industrial and Commercial Panel · Labour Party · Ireland
“There is not enough room for a wheelchair to go around the side of the building. There is no obvious proper entrance. The reception is upstairs. There is no lift access for anyone with mobility issues, buggies or deliveries. The classrooms are an irregular shape and are not the standard classroom size of 49 sq. m.”
“Her cause of death was recorded as “congenital debilities”. For many of those babies who died at Bessborough, the reason given for their death was congenital debility or marasmus, which was essentially starvation. The reason given for these babies’ deaths was often very vague.”
“I am speaking again about the issue of Bessborough in Cork city and to call once again on the Taoiseach to act on this. There is still time to do the right thing and to have a negotiation process with the developer now or, failing that, to look at compulsory purchase of this site. The burial records have been sealed in relation to this.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her response. Will she call for a meeting in person with the school? Could that be facilitated to give the school an update in person? Does she have an idea as to a commitment on the timeline?”
“Will the Minister of State provide an update on what has been done to progress the request for additional school accommodation for Coláiste Daibhéid in Cork city and a timeline for the project?”
“It reaches high standards academically as well as in sport, STEM and stewardship. It has fantastic students and they deserve better. At present, the school is on the edge of Douglas Street Campus on Sawmill Street. There are two buildings. One is Buckingham House, which dates from the mid-19th century.”
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“The original purpose of these rates, back in the 1990s, was to discourage early school leaving. That should not be a primary concern now, with Ireland's secondary school completion rates among the highest in Europe. Another argument in favour of keeping these subminima rates is that employers will stop hiring young workers. This is simply false, as research shows. However, it would seem inconsistent to argue both that fewer young people will get work if they are entitled to the minimum wage and also that this entitlement to a minimum wage would incentivise higher levels of early school leaving. In terms of apprenticeships, we absolutely need to ensure that we are paying apprentices properly, as Senator Cosgrove mentioned. Low rates of pay contribute to drop-out rates for apprentices.”
“I believe that the system currently in place amounts to age discrimination and must end. It puts a particular strain on young people as they try to cover living costs and the cost of education. This is a time when we have the highest levels of outward youth emigration from Ireland since 2015. We need to keep young people in the country and encourage them into sectors of the workforce where we need them. One quarter of employees aged 15 to 19 receive less than the current minimum wage, the majority because they are on subminima rates and some because they are apprentices. Subminima rate employment among young women is two percentage points higher than among young men. Last year, the Low Pay Commission, which was established by the Labour Party, recommended the abolition of these lower rates.”
“I am proud to second this Bill for my colleague, Senator Cosgrove. I commend all of her work. She has been an advocate for workers' rights and young people throughout her whole career. This goes to the heart of what the Labour Party is about. I am proud to see that this Bill is supported by trade unions, student unions and youth organisations across the country. I note that our Cross-Party Group in the Seanad, comprising me and Senators Cosgrove, Noonan and Stephenson, have used every one of our Private Members' slots to bring forward sensible legislative proposals. I hope that everyone in the Chamber will support the Bill. This Bill would remove the section of the National Minimum Wage Act which provides for settling lower rates of pay for workers under 20 years of age.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to establish standards for any scheme maintained by the Minister for Education and Youth relating to the provision of leave of absence for teachers and special needs assistants who suffer certain injuries; and to provide for related matters.”
“I acknowledge that these injuries are not the intention of the students and children involved but, unfortunately, they do happen. We need to make sure our classrooms are safe for children, teachers, SNAs and all staff in our schools. There is an increase in the number of people taking up assault leave, as it is called under the current circular. The INTO recently raised concerns in relation to this matter. Last year, 400 teachers experienced this and took this leave. It is important we address this matter and that the circular is amended. The State has a duty of care to all those working in our schools and the children and students who attend them to make sure people are safe and get the paid leave they need if they experience injuries.”
“I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, "That No. 10 be taken before No. 2". This relates to a Bill I am seeking to introduce today on leave for injuries for teachers and special needs assistants in our classrooms across the country, namely, the Education (Leave for Injuries) Bill 2025. This Bill was drafted in conjunction with Fórsa trade union, the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, and the campaigner Sophie Cole who is based in Carrigaline in Cork. Ms Cole suffered life-altering injuries in the classroom. My Bill would seek to amend the assault leave circular that is currently in operation in the Department of education and it would provide for adequate leave for teachers and SNAs who experience injuries in the classroom.”
“I echo Senator Black's comments and questions. We welcome Government amendment No. 37. This will provide greater clarity on the rights of children aged 16 and older and will ensure greater parity with their physical health treatment rights. As a result, we will be withdrawing amendment No. 38 because what it seeks to do is accomplished by amendment No. 37.”
“There are many answers that need to be received in relation to it, especially about what role the Department of education is going to have in assessments of need now. I am being contacted by teachers who are worried that they are going to have to take on extra casework in relation to this. We know 85% of teachers in this country are experiencing some level of burnout. They need to know what is happening with this, who will conduct these assessments of need and how these school places will be assigned.”
“The Minister has not ruled out increases to student rents in the private sector under the rent pressure zone, RPZ, legislation, if there will be increases next year, the year after or when that might be. We are opposed to that. We will be hosting a cross-party Opposition action on Thursday at 11 a.m. outside the gates of Leinster House and anyone is welcome to join. This will be in conjunction with student unions to call for action on student accommodation because this is urgent. I also want to raise the issue of assessments of need. There are 18,000 currently awaiting such assessments, most of whom are children. This figure is set to rise to over 22,000 by the end of the year. This is really concerning and the announcement from the Government last week was not clear.”
“I wish to raise student accommodation. It is December 2025 and we were promised that a student accommodation strategy would be published this year. It was said it would be published in the summer, then in December, and now we have confirmation it will not be published until 2026. This has not been a priority for the Government. This feeds into the wider housing crisis. There is a lack of purpose-built accommodation and students are suffering from the cost of living as well. Technological universities cannot borrow funds to build student accommodation or purchase lands, so this needs to be addressed urgently. My request of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, is that he give an update on when that strategy is going to be published.”
“This would be managed by SOLAS and be demand driven where a worker has a minimum of ten years of continuous social insurance contributions, inclusive of credited leave. When in work, upskilling opportunities are most often controlled by the employer. We want to give workers more personal freedom to choose for themselves after making years of contributions by funding skills vouchers and free part-time third level courses from the National Training Fund. As I said, the Labour Party is broadly supportive of this Bill.”
“This would ensure SMEs could retain staff and skills. Importantly, as with the German scheme, our scheme would guarantee that each worker would have an individual training or upskilling plan to improve productivity and prepare workers for potential opportunities. Artificial intelligence is a phenomenon to which workers will need to adapt. The measure would be funded through the Social Insurance Fund and the NTF and act as an automatic stabiliser in future recessions. It does not have an immediate upfront cost. The Labour Party would also unlock a portion of the surplus in the National Training Fund to allow workers who are mid-career to stop and switch and pursue upskilling or a new career direction.”
“Despite Government plans to spend €1.5 billion of the accumulated NTF surplus, which is expected to be close to €2 billion by 2030, across a range of measures, the NTF will still have an annual surplus of €230 million in 2025. The Labour Party has long advocated the allocation of this sustainable revenue to fund further and higher education, which provides the skills and talent that drive our economy. We would develop this as a permanent feature of our employment and social protection safety net. We would have a permanent short-term wage subsidy scheme to support workers and businesses if a downturn or recession strikes. This short-term working scheme, which we call Obair Gearr, would protect employees from lay-offs. Another element would be State subsidies when companies encounter difficulties and need time to adapt.”
“In budget 2025, the Government announced the following funding to come from the NTF up to 2030: €650 million by way of a core funding package for higher education, increasing funding by a further €150 million by 2030. Also announced were a "€600 million capital uplift to enable skills development, including facilities in the areas of healthcare and veterinary skills and further education skills; supporting universal access to skill provision; and the research sector (including an increase in the PhD stipend)" and "€235 million for the tertiary sector as one-off current funding, including skills and apprenticeships". The Labour Party has long argued, since 2017, that the NTF should be progressively increased to fund further and higher education, expand the social safety net and provide upskilling opportunities for workers.”
“The Minister is very welcome. It is good to have this debate on Second Stage in the Seanad. The Labour Party is broadly supportive of the Bill and has long argued for better use of the NTF surplus. The budget 2026 documentation shows a projected surplus of €230 million for 2025 and a similar surplus of €226 million for 2026, further adding to the surplus. It is important that we utilise the surplus in the best way possible. During 2024, consideration was given to how the NTF surplus could be accessed and utilised to meet existing and future skills needs for employees, those seeking employment and employers, while also addressing the funding needs for further and higher education within the spending parameters of the annual budget.”
“It is really disappointing again that we are seeing another timed amendment from the Government. This is a real trend in this Chamber and I just wanted to express disappointment.”
“I support Senator Black's Bill, which is a very sensible proposal. As someone who was a councillor for a period of time, I would say it is absolutely a full-time role. I was proud to serve alongside Senator Garret Kelleher on Cork City Council. Aside from the support needed through secretarial support it is also important that we consider that the council is often a pipeline for national politics. If we want to attract more people from minority groups and disadvantaged groups and, indeed, more women, then we need to ensure that the role is supported and people know before they are going into it what support is available to them. Any supports absolutely have to be put in place before the next local elections in 2029. We need to ensure this happens.”
“We believe this is a more appropriate definition that does not carry the reductive and stigmatising weight of "mental disorder" and it would bring the Bill in line with the language recommended by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which refers to psychosocial disability, the language used in Sharing the Vision, Ireland's national mental health policy, which uses "mental health difficulties" and the language recommended by the expert review group of the Mental Health Act, which was "mental illness".”
“I move amendment No. 15: In page 16, to delete lines 32 to 35. I will speak to amendment Nos. 15 and 17. Amendment No. 15 proposes the deletion of the definition of "mental disorder" from the Bill. From consultations with people with lived experience, the term "mental disorder" has repeatedly been identified as stigmatising, reductive and a medically loaded term. Many individuals feel it pathologises their experiences in a way that reinforces negative stereotypes, undermines their autonomy and contributes to discrimination both within healthcare systems and society at large. This terminology can obscure the social, psychological and environmental factors that shape mental distress, framing it instead as a fixed individual pathology. Amendment No. 17 would insert a definition of "mental health difficulty" and-or "psychosocial disability".”
“The State should be stepping in to support students and families, rather than passing on the costs to them to entice developers who are already making millions of euro in profits. I second the proposal from Senator Cosgrove.”
“Last year, according to the student union in University College Cork, 28% of students there went to class hungry because of student poverty. The president of Munster Technological University has said that housing is now the biggest access barrier to further and higher education. That is a really stark thing for a president of a college to say. We know that more and more students - those who are not coming from overseas - are having to stay at home with their parents in their childhood bedrooms and are commuting long distances. This is contributing hugely to congestion in towns and cities across the country. Whose side is the Minister, Deputy Lawless on? Is he on the side of students and families or is he on the side of developers?”
“I would like to raise the issue of student accommodation rent increases. We saw over the weekend reports that the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, and the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy Lawless, are at odds on how often there should be student rent hikes over the coming years. The Department of housing believes there should be no return to market rents until 2029 and the Department of further and higher education believes there should be at least two rent hikes in that time period. My position is that there should be no student rent increases. It is extremely worrying that this Government, which has increased student fees while calling it a decrease, is now proposing to increase student rents as well.”
“We know that once the veil of windfall corporation tax receipts is pulled back, Ireland is a country that is running a budget deficit. We have heard the stark warnings already from bodies like the ESRI. In that light, the Government's choices are all the more nonsensical.”
“Shamefully, there are thousands of children who will spend Christmas in homeless accommodation, but the Government chose to use the budget to put the interests of burger barons, big builders and developers first rather than using the budget to tackle those crises or to take the perhaps difficult but necessary steps to move our public finances onto a sustainable footing. The Government gave massive tax handouts to fast food companies and developers and our public services need urgent investment. The Labour Party has shown how we would pay for them, by raising revenue from restoring the bank levy to €500 million and other measures targeting wealth and assets. Nothing in this Bill shows a serious Government ready to bite the bullet and broaden the tax base that we need to face the many challenges of today and tomorrow.”
“The Labour Party was clear then and we are clear now that budget 2026 did little or nothing for citizens struggling to make ends meet, or communities across Ireland. After last year's pre-election giveaways, this was a budget that made it clear to ordinary families that this is a Government that has no vision when it comes to addressing the cost-of-living crisis and there is no light at the end of the tunnel for so many families and workers across the country. Amid spiralling grocery costs, energy price hikes that will leave many households choosing between heating or eating this winter, and the catastrophe of the housing disaster, the Government has made its choices. It is those choices that we see in this Bill today. Ireland is a wealthy country, but we have one in five children living in poverty. Families struggle to pay the bills.”
“In its 2020 report, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment found that PRN medicine was not being used in an appropriate manner at the establishments visited and recommended that the Irish authorities carry out of a review of this type of prescription at all psychiatric institutions, particularly as regards potential overmedication, chemical restraint and involuntary treatment, and draw up guidelines thereafter on the use of PRN medication. It is essential that these recommendations be followed.”
“I agree with the comments of Senators Cosgrove and Ruane. It is really important that we have broader definitions of "chemical restraint" and "pharmacological restraint" than the ones offered by the Government. Mental Health Reform agrees with this proposal. It is important that any definition of "chemical restraint" include the inappropriate use or overuse of PRN sedatives.”
“The Mental Health Bill is landmark legislation. It is complex, and I acknowledge the work the Minister of State is doing in terms of stewarding the Bill through the Houses. It will mark some of the most significant changes in decades in the context of how we provide mental health care and treatment. More than that, it will have a real and substantive effect on the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We absolutely owe it to them to make sure that we give the legislation the attention it deserves. In that context, the tabling of these amendments at short notice is disappointing. However, it is encouraging that the Minister of State wants to engage. That may have to happen over a number of different sessions in order to allow us to have a comprehensive debate.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. I agree with Senator Boyhan’s remarks that we need to give this Bill due process and ensure that stakeholders, some of whom are in the Gallery today, are engaged with. I welcome the representatives from Mental Health Reform. Other stakeholders, like the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, should be engaged with. It is a matter of concern that the Government has tabled such a large volume of amendments at this late stage of the Bill's passage through the Oireachtas. The amendments arrived with little notice and with little time for Members to properly scrutinise what is being proposed. We cannot rush this through without a full and proper debate. This is not the right way to govern or to ensure that passed by the Oireachtas is the subject of proper debate and scrutiny.”
“There are many 16-year-olds like Jayden who are very active participants in communities across the country and who are very politically engaged. They have access to lots of information through civic and political courses in school, and online. We need to follow the lead of other jurisdictions like Austria, Scotland, many German states and the Isle of Man. Jersey and Guernsey, too, have extended the franchise to vote at 16. We need to look at that here. A 16-year-old can seek employment, be liable for tax and get a licence to drive a tractor in some cases, so why can they not be eligible to vote as well? We really need to increase voter participation and turnout. I know it is Jayden's first time in Leinster House today but I think he will be in Leinster House many times in the future, maybe as an elected representative as well.”
“First, I welcome the guests in the Gallery, particularly Councillor Ciara O'Connor, our Labour councillor from Cork, and Ella Horgan. Both of them work with me. I thank them for all the work that they do. I also welcome Jayden Browne from Cork city. It is his 16th birthday today. I want to wish him a very happy birthday. He is a fantastic member of the community in Cork. He is on transition year work experience. He is from Greenmount in Cork city and he attends Coláiste Éamann Rís in Deerpark. He is on the student council there. He is getting a Garda youth award in Cork city for community safety next week. I congratulate him on that. That brings me to the issue I want to raise, which is votes at 16.”
“All new builds should have universal design embedded and local authorities must also be supported to provide the necessary housing and community support to enable independent living. The Government must take this opportunity to fully implement and resource the national housing strategy for disabled people, including funding for technical advisers in the local authorities. The budget was a missed opportunity to introduce the cost-of-disability support payment as well. We need to see this addressed in future. We want this welcome strategy to succeed. The Minister outlined the pillars of the strategy but it needs to be resourced.”
“To improve transparency and accountability, the Labour Party has also called for the monthly publication of waiting lists for assessments of need and therapies, so that we can see the updated figures on a monthly basis. Accessibility remains a major barrier for disabled people. Too many of them face needless barriers that can exclude them from the most simple of daily activities. Public transport is one of these barriers. Active travel infrastructure is failing disabled people. Something as simple as a footpath that needs repairing can represent a real barrier to disabled people being able to access their community. Accessible infrastructure is not negotiable for disabled people. Rather, it is essential to allow them to live their lives in the way that they deserve. We also need to do more on housing.”
“Children and families are trapped without the supports that they need. We have well over 10,000 children waiting for assessments of need and essential therapies and the staffing and retention crisis in children's disability network teams, CDNTs, is compounding this issue. Without a properly resourced workforce, this strategy's ambitions will not be realised. The Government's disability services action plan stated that 180 new CDNT posts and 300 therapy assistant posts in 2025 were essential to progressing disability services. However, in April last, nearly one in five funded CDNT posts was left vacant. This is simply not good enough and it is leaving children without the supports they need. There is not much detail in this strategy on how the Government hopes to address recruitment and retention in disability support services.”
“Shockingly, we know that Ireland has the worst employment rate for disabled people in the EU, at 20% below the average employment rate. This is a shocking statistic. We need targeted pathways when it comes to employment and education. There has been some progress made in educational attainment, but we still lag behind. In the Labour Party's recent alternative budget, ahead of budget 2026, we called for additional investment in the form of a 20% increase in funding for employability and workability programmes to support people with disabilities in the workplace. My party also called for a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities to lay out the clear actions the Government will take to address this issue. Meanwhile, assessment of need waiting lists are spiralling.”
“Therefore, it is very understandable that the publication of this strategy has been met with just cautious optimism from disabled people. Without urgent and sustained action across government, the strategy risks becoming another document left to gather dust on the shelf. We cannot have that. If it is really to deliver change for disabled people, it must be backed by action, not lip service. Far too often in the past, despite many promises, children and their parents had to resort to protests or media interviews to get access to therapies and assessments that they need. That has to end now. The Government must fund and implement this strategy adequately. While significant progress has been made in our society in recent decades, there remains a long way to go and disabled people continue to face many systemic barriers in their lives.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I was at the launch of the strategy. I was there to support it, and we wish the Minister well. We need her to succeed with this strategy. The strategy is a significant milestone in the advancement of disability rights in Ireland. For that, it must be welcomed. In ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and in bringing forth this strategy, Ireland has said to every disabled person living in our society that their rights matter, just like everyone else's. That is significant and it should not be dismissed. However, disabled people have too often listened to hopeful words and kind speeches but have been left crying out for the real action they need to get on with living their lives with independence and dignity.”
“We saw stories in Cork last September at the beginning of the college term, where people were going around with ropes and putting them around people's necks. Members of the Indian community in Cork were deeply troubled. We had a rally at the weekend that was very well attended. I am delighted to say that it had cross-party support and all the main political parties were there. We need more of that because we need to stay united. We are unique in Ireland in that these ultraconservative and far-right political parties have not come to power here yet. We have to make sure they do not do so because the result of that would be the quashing of civil rights. We need to learn from other countries across Europe where this has happened. We have an opportunity to stop that happening here. We have worked hard over many decades to fight for equality.”
“There are people who would like to stoke up fear in our society, for their own gain, among communities that have been marginalised because of housing and inequality, but not because of immigration. Ireland is not full. We are full of welcoming people. This is not who we are. That attack does not represent who we are. At the weekend, I co-ordinated an event in Cork against racism. That was as a result of two months of planning. I was initially approached by the Indian community, who were concerned about attacks against their community. I thought it was very saddening that the Indian ambassador had to come out and warn citizens not to go out late at night or walk in dark places in case they might be attacked.”
“I want to bring up the arson attack at the weekend, which I would describe as attempted murder, on an IPAS centre at which a staircase was set on fire and children and women had to be evacuated as a result. What happened is deeply worrying. This has to be a turning point for us in Ireland. We need to wake up to the fact that we are emboldening people. We are emboldening racists. We absolutely have to tackle mistruths in relation to immigration and the people who come here to seek asylum, which is their right. As politicians and as public representatives, we need to ensure that all the political parties welcome those who are here, namely everybody living in this country. We need to make sure that when we speak about immigration, we are not deflecting from other issues like the housing crisis or wealth inequality.”
“I acknowledge the groups in the Gallery today who are working at the coalface, and also Deputies Rice, Gibney and Cian O'Callaghan, who are here to support their colleague. I am proud to support the Bill and to share a cross-party group with Senator Stephenson. This is a really progressive piece of legislation. It is simple. It makes sense and it needs to be passed.”
“That is the equivalent of six people per day. We can imagine the effect it would have in Ireland and what that would mean at a time of crisis and trauma for so many. Many of those who are escaping physical or mental violence, or psychological or financial abuse, have no access to funds. If the Government could provide this service it would be transformative. This is something that needs to be supported this evening in this Chamber. By guaranteeing free travel we can help to alleviate the costs survivors face in these situations. Nobody should be forced into poverty as a result of abuse. We know that 35% of women in Ireland - more than one in three - have experienced abuse from an intimate partner. In 2024 there were 32,144 contacts to Women's Aid.”
“I welcome the Minister. I am proud to be part of the cross-party group with Senators Stephenson, Noonan and Cosgrove. I commend Senator Stephenson's Bill. It is a very simple, progressive Bill. It is extremely disappointing that, again, we are seeing a pattern from the Government of introducing a timed amendment, effectively kicking the can down the road when it comes to such an important issue and such a simple solution. More than 65,000 instances of domestic violence were reported to An Garda Síochána last year. That is a shocking statistic. The level of violence is an epidemic. It is simply unacceptable. We know that similar steps taken in Britain and Northern Ireland to provide free rail travel have helped more than 10,000 people to avail of travel to seek refuge since that scheme was introduced in 2020.”
“We had a citizens' assembly on this issue and the vast majority of its members voted in favour of extending the franchise to citizens abroad. Over 150 countries around the world facilitate their citizens abroad to vote in elections. We are very much an outlier in that regard. This needs to be looked at and put in place before the next presidential election in seven years' time. It is a missed opportunity that it is not going to happen on Friday. As I have said, we hope there will be a high turnout for the election.”
“I also extend my sympathies to the family of the late Michael Calnan, a former Labour councillor and Senator. He was also a cousin and mentor to the former TD and Senator Michael McCarthy. I extend my condolences to his family, including his daughter, Julie, and his son, Michael. I will also raise the issue of presidential voting rights. We have a very important election on Friday. We hope that there will be a high turnout in that election. The President of Ireland represents all Irish citizens across the world and those who identify as Irish, no matter where they live. It is a missed opportunity that citizens in Northern Ireland and those living across the world will not be able to cast their vote on Friday.”
“We know a lot of providers are questioning whether they can afford to stay in the sector. We need to move towards a public model of childcare where waiting lists are minimal, where the service is of a high quality, where workers' pay and conditions are fair, and where it is sustainable for providers.”
“It is often those working in early years settings who pick up if children might have additional needs or if there is something going on at home that needs to be alerted. They are often at the coal face and front line of a child's development. We know the years from zero to five are so impactful for how the rest of someone's life will pan out. It is really disappointing that the pre-election promises of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to cap childcare costs at €200 per month have not been fulfilled. We need to work toward this reduction in costs for parents. Just last night, I was speaking to a family who are paying €2,000 for childcare. It is more than their mortgage. I know from other parents that it is affecting how they plan for their families; for example, whether they can afford to have another child.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. It is a really important and timely debate that we are having on childcare. I welcome and support the Sinn Féin motion. It is really hard for people working in the sector to stay in the sector. My friend and colleague, Councillor Ciara O'Connor, who works in Cork city, left the profession that she deeply loves because she could not afford to work in it any more in terms of the pay and conditions. She hopes one day that she can go back to it again, but at the minute, like many of her colleagues, she did not find it a viable profession, even though she is extremely qualified. They need to be treated and valued the same as other educators in the State.”
“This affects the student experience as well as the staff experience. They would say in their own words that higher education is chronically and structurally underfunded. We know that public spending has decreased by 40% in relation to income since the financial crisis years. How will we plug that core funding gap? When will that be done? I think there was a missed opportunity to abolish the apprentice fee. I know my colleague, Senator Cosgrove, will speak about that. For every euro spent on further and higher education, there is a return for our economy overall.”
“We absolutely need to make sure that that is outlawed and that they feel the full weight of the law. Student poverty is real. According to a University College Cork students' union survey, 28% of students said that they have gone to class hungry. I welcome the fact the Minister is looking at the thresholds and that he has made progress there. That is going in the right direction in relation to grants. I know that is at the forefront of the Minister's priorities. On the sector itself, I know the Irish Federation of University Teachers has identified through a survey that 36% of those working in universities say they are in precarious employment. Only 8% of them said they had written contracts. Only 15% of researchers said they were on permanent contracts and 60% said they had unmanageable workloads.”