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Students urged to fight fee proposal

Thursday, 21 August 2008

A NORTHSIDE student has hit out at the suggestion that the Government may consider the reintroduction of fees for third level education.
In the same week that he collected his Leaving Cert results, David Murphy, from Howth, has added his voice to calls for the Government to scrap all talk of new fee plans.
David believes that students who work hard enough to ensure their place in college have earned the right to free education.
“I want to do International Relations in DCU, and I worked extremely hard and put in the hours,” he told Northside People.
“I think the system should rank merit over a means test; people of all backgrounds who work hard enough ought to be able to earn their place.
“The reintroduction of fees will just place unnecessary financial stress on the families of hardworking students.”
David said that while he understands that many people from wealthy backgrounds are currently enjoying free third level education, he does not trust the Government to means test families fairly.
“Means testing under the current Government simply doesn’t work,” he claimed
“You can have wealthy farmers getting grants while other people can’t even get childcare. I don’t trust means testing.”
David offered his full support to an anti-fees demonstration held outside the Dáil last week but was unable to attend as he was collecting his exam results at the time.
“I am opposed to the fees but also to the constant raising of registration fees,” he added.
“Registration fees are currently close to e1,000 and the Government is doing nothing to stop them going up every year.”
A spokesman for the Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe, said unprecedented investment is being made in the higher education infrastructure.
“In 2004, the Government commissioned a major Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) review of higher education,” he stated.
“The OECD report contained a wide range of recommendations including the return of individual student contributions.
“In making this recommendation, the OECD reflected on the fact that top performing higher education systems internationally rely on diversified income sources.”
The spokesman said Minister O’Keeffe has indicated his intention to produce a new strategy for higher education to outline an overall vision for the development of the sector in Ireland.
“Given the changed economic circumstances, Minister O’Keeffe has indicated that the re-introduction of third level fees will now be considered,” he added.
“However, the minister has emphasised that any proposal to reintroduce fees would have to be based on ability to pay, and fees would not be imposed on low income families.”
Cian O’Callaghan, Labour’s candidate in the Howth ward in next year’s local elections, was active in the campaign for free education that successfully fought off the Government's previous attempt to introduce third level fees.
Mr O’Callaghan has called on Northside students to protest against the Government’s cutbacks. He said there needs to be more access to third level education.
"Over the past few weeks we have steadily heard a rising chorus of calls for the reintroduction of fees,” he declared.
“It appears from comments made by the Minister for Education that the Government is now about to capitulate to the pressure.
“The abolition of fees by the Labour Party opened up third level education to tens of thousands of students from low and middle income families.”
Mr O’Callaghan believes the reintroduction of fees would hit Northside families hard, and at a time when fuel, gas, electricity and other basic costs of living are escalating.
“At a time when we want to encourage more students to enter third level, it would be shortsighted to impose what would essentially be a tax on those hoping to get a degree,” he added.
“I am calling on Northside students to get organised so that the Government takes note that they are not an easy target for their programme of cutbacks.

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