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LAST UPDATE | 1 Jul
TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has suggested a future college fee reduction is still on the cards, as the government faces backlash for scrapping the temporary €1,000 subsidy that was available for the last three years.
The Fine Gael leader advised parents and students: “Pay in instalments and let’s see where the budget brings us to.”
Both he and the higher education minister, James Lawless of Fianna Fáil, have indicated that there will be no subsidy this September but, as laid out in the programme for government, they aim is to achieve a permanent, sustainable reduction over the course of the government term.
While Harris said no announcements about further changes would be made before budget day, “the programme for government is clear”.
“I’m very clear on the programme for government commitment that talks about reducing and phasing out. That’s what I want to see progress on,” he told reporters this afternoon.
Students unions and opposition parties had hit out at the government for not subsidising the €3,000 fees this September.
Lawless said yesterday that the previous measures subsidising fees were always going to be temporary in nature.
The €1,000 reductions were part of a three-year, once-off cost of living support package for families to offset the impact of the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic on the Irish and European economy.
“There was a once-off temporary subvention [...] Those measures expired. The budget that was done for this September has no provision for any kind of subvention”, Lawless said.
However, Harris has insisted that, while there will be no special cost of living package in the next budget, there could be other measures to the same effect.
“We have to move back to regular budgets, but of course [the upcoming] budget can include measures to help people with cost of living,” he said.
Speaking in Japan today, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin indicated he too wants to see the programme for government commitment to reduce college fees over time implemented.
There may be “challenges” in the first year, the Taoiseach said.
The issue of student fees dominated leaders’ questions in the Dáil this afternoon, with Opposition TDs claiming the government did not understand that the increased cost of living is still impacting students and their families.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that families’ budgets were now “thrown into doubt” amid the speculation about fees changing or being subsidised.
Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said: “Hitting [families] with an extra €1,000 will make going to college impossible for many.”
Social Democrats’ deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said that the government was reneging on its previously agreed statements, in election manifestos and the programme for government, to reduce and abolish student fees by not committing to the subsidy.
Responding on each occasion, public expenditure minister Jack Chambers repeated that the upcoming budget requires the government to find sustainable, permanent and yet cautious methods to reduce costs for students and families.
He committed to working on a taxation and expenditure programme to provide additional funds and support to those in third-level education.
Additional reporting by Sophie Finn and Christina Finn.
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