ALL third level colleges should get funding for at least one medical doctor as part of a health promotion programme, the Union of Students in Ireland said.
USI has also proposed a "substance abuse" campaign which it would co ordinate, as well as a health promotion campaign to inform young people on matters such as healthy eating and contraception.
In a pre Budget submission, the union said the ratio of students to doctors in Irish universities was more than twice that of other countries. It has called for the appointment of one full time GP in every RTC, two in the Dublin Institute of Technology and 12 for the seven universities.
"Health promotion is an area which has been ignored with third level education. Prevention is better than cure, so the benefit to the State is a healthy, young population that will depend less on its services," said Mr Malcolm Byrne, education officer of USI.
The union is also seeking a 10 per cent increase in third level maintenance grants and in the grant threshold, at an annual cost of £11 million. Some 500 reserved places for the disadvantaged could he created at a cost of £2.5 million, it suggested.
More than 80 per cent of students at third level are from middle class backgrounds, compared to 0.5 per cent from unemployed families, USI pointed out.
Students with disabilities should also be provided with greater access to third level, according to the submission. Pre university courses funded by Rehab at Roslyn Park, Dublin, have prepared 80 students with disabilities for third level since 1989. USI has called on the Department of Education to take over the funding of these courses.
