Irish Examiner view: Issues reflect whole of society

A report from the University College Dublin Students’ Union has shown that almost two in three students in UCD who are not living at home are paying over €750 a month in rent. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos Dublin.

One of the greatest steps taken in opening up Irish society was Donagh O’Malley’s 1966 decision to make secondary education free — a move which contributed greatly to Ireland’s development in subsequent decades by bringing an end to an era when second-level schooling was the preserve of the privileged.

In due course third-level education also became an option for far more people, which benefited the country hugely.