Bacik welcomes USI support for Seanad Motion
Labour Leader in the Seanad, Senator Ivana Bacik has welcomed the support from the Union of Students in Ireland for the Labour Party’s motion to be debated on Wednesday evening.
Labour’s motion calls on the Government to affirm its commitment to providing equality of access to education for all; to reject any move to implement an income contingent loan scheme to fund third level education; and to adopt a policy of ending college fees and implementing a truly publicly funded higher education system in Ireland.
Senator Bacik said:
“I welcome the support from USI, and I look forward to hearing the views of the student movement tomorrow when USI President Michael Kerrigan will provide a briefing in advance of the Seanad debate.
“I hope other parties and independents in the Seanad will support our motion, and I hope they will take on board the views of students from across Ireland.
“USI have rightly expressed concern about the impact an income-contingent loan scheme would have in Ireland, and the fear that such a debt burden creates for them.
“That is why the Labour Party are proposing this motion, and it is important we will now have an open debate on how our higher education system is to be funded.”