Not my advice but another suggested initiative for the government. You can read the irish times article hereThe sustained war on the middle classes continues unabated with huge taxes on buying houses, cars and luxury items like soap. Given the modest level of the student grant in comparison with living costs for students I think that we're an expensive enough country to live in besides yet another balance-the-books tax that reduces the benefits available to the hardworking middle classes. The impact isn't discussed in the article so I'm hopeful if cautious that any such initiative would be implemented sensitively.
The Irish economy is at a pivotal moment as it tries to move from a building bubble to a sustainable knowledge economy. Government policy should reflect this with greater investment in every aspect of education, including the financial supplements available to all parents to help educate their kids.