155. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views regarding the holiday earnings disregard for students applying for Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grants; his views on whether it is unfair that only income from work during holidays is considered, and students who have a small weekend job lose out on the SUSI grant as that puts them over the threshold for a grant; and if he will review this matter. [35185/26]

Sentiment score: 0.28

It is very unfair that only income from work during holidays is considered for students who wish to avail of the SUSI grant. If they have a small weekend job they lose out, as there is no disregard for that. What is the reason for this? If they have a bit of work for weekends, why not allow it to be disregarded, like the holiday pay? Youngsters appreciate work.

Sentiment score: 0.07

I thank the Minister for his reply. What I am saying is that it will cost the State nothing to allow the work students do at weekends to be disregarded for the SUSI grant. The costs are exorbitant now for students going to college and it is only natural that they would want to help their parents out and help to get themselves to college and pay for all the things the Minister listed, including the fees, student accommodation and travel from places as far away as Cahersiveen and Dingle and all the places in Kerry that they have to travel from to colleges right around the country. What benefit is it to the State to stop youngsters from going to work for the weekend? It is hurting businesses that may have built up a relationship with these youngsters during the holidays. I see no point whatsoever in it. It has been known all our lives that we should encourage youngsters to work but this is doing the opposite.

Sentiment score: 0.16

As much as anyone else, I welcome the MTU in Tralee for students in Kerry. However, I would say again that it does not make any sense at all if these youngsters could work and earn another bit of money to help themselves to go to college. It would help to take the burden off their parents. The Minister is talking about all the things the Government has given out and that is fine, but these people and their families are still under financial pressures that were never seen before. This is especially the case in families where there is more than one student in the house. I ask the Minister to look at this and to give these lovely young boys and girls a chance to work. They love to work. I always had someone like them in the bar at home and I appreciated them. We can learn things from young people that we might not otherwise learn. I ask the Minister to look at this again in a favourable way.

Sentiment score: 0.25