Panel needs student representation

Colm Byrne says that any expert group reviewing college fees should have student representation.

The review group is being chaired by an economist with no (apparent) students on the panel. There is not one student on the review group, indicating a bias of either status or class. Moreover, this group is not representative of Irish society, who favour free education by two to one, according to a recent survey.

Ireland has one resource - its people. As a society we benefit most by empowering all our citizens to discover the best way they can contribute to the greater good. The huge number of mature students in our universities is testament to the power of transformation that education provides to all.

Ireland will survive this recession only by sparking innovation in its people. The banks won't fix it, the government won't fix it, it is the laid off engineer, the returned emigrant, the mum with an invention - people who want a better future who are given the tools to create the future and who are told - the sky's the limit, these are the ones who will take us out of recession. Free education, small business initiatives and leaders who speak of possibilities - these are the keys to a new Ireland.

By Colm Byrne