A redress board to deal with claims from hundreds of mature students and the reinstatement of the summer payments programme was called for last night by student unions.
Following the successful outcome of his test case in the High Court yesterday, UCD student Michael Power urged the Government to "do the decent thing and undo what has been morally and legally wrong".
He claimed that thousands of people had made a decision to return to education based on the understanding that they would receive summer payments under the Back to Education scheme, but struggled financially after the payment was withdrawn.
The immediate establishment of a redress board, which might address the losses encountered by upwards of 6,500 mature students in circumstances similar to Mr Power, was last night called for by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
Union president Tony O'Donnell said the USI would be seeking reinstatement of the scheme whereby students received summer payments and the establishment of a fund for students seeking to undertake postgraduate studies.
Father of four Mr Power told The Irish Times last night that when the summer payment was abolished, under what became known as the "savage 16" budgetary cuts, it had been a "devastating situation" for his family. Following his redundancy in 2002, he returned to full- time education under the Back to Education scheme, but the unexpected summer payments cut reduced his allowance by €4,200 per annum.
After four years of writing to Ministers and TDs and contacting student unions, yesterday's court decision could affect hundreds of other students according to James Carroll, president of UCD's student union.