In the past few weeks this House has been dominated by education debates. I am proud of the many improvements this Government has brought about in the education sector. The issue I raise is the gross inequity suffered by students in the Royal College of Surgeons. Those students do not enjoy the free fees initiative introduced by the Government which was the difference between students being able to accept a place in college or not. This initiative has been much appreciated by students and parents alike.
Given that the Royal College of Surgeons has agreed to become involved in the CAO system it is extraordinary that the students who will get a place will not be entitled to avail of the initiative. The fees at this college are an enormous burden on students and families and many will not be able to afford them.
Under the CAO system, which we always boast is the fairest, we can have students who want to pursue a career in medicine but because they achieve the points for the Royal College of Surgeons rather than for UCD, UCC or any other college, they will have to pay up to £3,000 per annum in fees. This is a grave injustice to those students who, when filling in the CAO form, indicate their preference for the Royal College of Surgeons. Many will not be aware that should they get a place in the Royal College of Surgeons they will have to pay those fees while their fellow students can pursue their medical career in the other colleges and have their fees paid.
In a written reply I received during the week, the Minister for Education said that while the college will be part of the CAO system of entry from the commencement of 1997-8, it does not wish to be considered for inclusion in the free fees initiative at present.
I question the right of any college to decide that its students will not avail of the free fees initiative. This is an extraordinary statement. How fair is the CAO system if within it there is a college that does not provide the same opportunities because free fees are not included?
Many students who are studying desperately hard and who will achieve the necessary points for entry to the Royal College of Surgeons may not be able to accept their place simply because they cannot afford the fees. This is a grave injustice and should not be tolerated particularly since the college is within the CAO system.
I appeal to the Minister for Education to review the system and to take a decision based on the rights of students rather than on the preference of the college. I hope from 1997 onwards that students whose parents are paying tax and funding the free fees initiative for fellow students in other colleges will receive the justice they deserve by being allowed avail of it in the Royal College of Surgeons.