Madam, – The Minister for Finance has informed us that reforming expenses for TDs and Senators is a side-issue. Seemingly the savings involved wouldn’t make a dent in the fiscal crisis facing the country, so there’s no need to panic.
The day before the Minister made his comments hundreds of students from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland’s largest third-level institution, protested outside the Minister’s office.
In recent weeks, petty, penny- pinching cutbacks in part-time staff have had a devastating effect on DIT: classes have been cut back, labs closed, library hours slashed and gym facilities shut.
The situation is so grave that some students now have a legitimate fear that they will not be able to complete their studies as basic teaching conditions are eroded.
At the protest we weren’t looking for bailouts, digouts or lavish expenses.
All we are seeking is the reinstatement of part-time staff recently thrown on the dole. An institution such as DIT cannot function without these staff.
Unlike the expenses regime for our politicians, the financial cost involved in restoring staffing numbers at DIT is minuscule.
However, the social and educational cost of petty cutbacks is immense.
It seems however that the Minister applies one rule for his colleagues and another for the thousands of students suffering from petty, short-sighted decisions that in the long run can only undermine our strategy for recovery through a smart economy and an educated, innovative workforce. – Yours, etc,