Reintroduction of Third Level fees.

[wombat]

A loan system will disadvantage the less well off as those whose parents can pay, will pay thus creating an uneven playing field after graduation, leaving those whose parents were unable to assist their children with 3rd level fees starting off their careers with the burden of a graduate loan hanging over their heads.

You can apply the same argument to buying cars or houses - its usually an advantage to have wealthy parents. 3rd Level education is a benefit that not everyone has, so why should those who benefit not contribute to the cost - I prefer the FG suggestion of a graduate levy but I don't think a loan scheme is particularly unfair.

[BodyofEvidence]

A loan system will disadvantage the less well off as those whose parents can pay, will pay thus creating an uneven playing field after graduation, leaving those whose parents were unable to assist their children with 3rd level fees starting off their careers with the burden of a graduate loan hanging over their heads.

So: there are three options
a) the state pays an adquate amount to the universities to allow the to really compete on the world stage and support the knowledge econonomy
b) the state doesnt and then there is eitehr a fee on entry or a fee on exit.

Now: a has failed here. so its bi or bii.....which are you for. bii is achievable via a tax or a loan scheme.

[ManOfReason]

There is no reason a student should not be willing to pay the price of a bottom of the range Toyota Yaris for the benefit of 3/4 years of a University education. i.e 15K Euro

Give eveybody low interest loans to attend and get on with it.

Direct funding for underprivileged kids should be directed towards pre-school kids - you get much better returns with early intervention. Any kid raised in poverty who is smart enough to fight the odds and get a place in University will also be smart enough to understand it is worth borrowing the money to attend.

We can no longer afford this huge subsidy of the middle classes and rich.