Vol. 249 No. 9
asked the Minister for Education if he has received a memorandum from the Union of Students in Ireland on the question of university fees and higher education grants; if so, whether he proposes to accept the recommendations in this memorandum; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
42.
asked the Minister for Education if he is sympathetically considering the memorandum which he received from the Union of Students in Ireland in relation to increased university fees and higher education grants; and what action he proposes to take in the matter to meet the difficulties created by increases in university fees.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together.
I have received such a memorandum from the Union of Students in Ireland. The memorandum is at present under consideration and I propose to arrange a meeting with representatives of the union as soon as possible to discuss its contents.
Could the Minister give any indication as to when he expects this meeting to take place?
I hope it will take place very shortly.
This week, perhaps?
If I can arrange it. It may be next week. I am not certain.
43.
asked the Minister for Education when, in accordance with the undertaking he gave in the Dáil on April 15th 1970, he proposes to compensate students in receipt of partial grants under the Higher Education Grants Scheme for increases in university fees.
Appropriate arrangements have been made with the university authorities whereby payments will be made to them so that the fees charged to all grant holders in 1969-70 will be kept at the level which obtained in that year.
Could the Minister say when this was arranged in respect of partial grants?
As far as my statement was concerned this was what I intended. But it was only quite recently that that position was understood by the university authorities.
Why did the Minister not give clear information on this much earlier?
I assumed that my statement was a clear indication of what I wanted.
Does this not suggest an extraordinary lack of communication between the Minister and the university authorities if it took so many months before this misunderstanding came to light?
No, it does not.
Six or seven months?
They will not answer questions.
The matter only came up recently in relation to the actual payment of fees when the students were coming back to the university.
For six months the Minister and the universities were at cross-purposes.
Questions Nos. 44 and 45 postponed.
