The Government has been urged to take the idea of student loans off the table.

A report published last year found that there was a funding gap of €5.5bn over the next 15 years in third-level education.

The Cassells Report made a number of recommendations, including a deferred payment scheme for students.

But Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who will table a motion on the issue tomorrow, says this would be disastrous.

"Fundamentally education should be something that the taxpayer provides - we have any amount of people ho are eager to get into third-level, but the fees system is still a barrier for many ordinary, working families.

"I think a situation where the burden of loans would have to repaid over a number of years would deter people"