By Concubhar 脫 Liath谩in And Gr谩inne N铆 Aodha EchoLive.ie
The Higher Education Minister has been asked to clarify whether student fees will increase in the upcoming Budget.
Minister James Lawless said that a cost-of-living package will not form part of Budget 2026, meaning the temporary drop in the student contribution fee would 鈥渞eset鈥 to before the inflationary crisis.
Opposition politicians have criticised the mooted increase and asked the Government to give clarity to parents ahead of the upcoming academic year.
鈥淚f I don鈥檛 have a cost-of-living package, I can鈥檛 do the type of measures I did last year,鈥 Mr Lawless told RT脡鈥檚 This Week.
鈥淭he once-off supports 鈥 and they were very clearly described as 鈥榦nce off鈥 at the time 鈥 are not being provided for as it stands because there鈥檚 no cost-of-living package being made available.
鈥淭hat may change coming into the Budget, I suppose it is a matter for the finance ministers more so than myself.鈥
He said the fees would 鈥渞eset鈥 to what they were three years ago.
The student contribution fee was at 鈧3,000 before the inflation crisis, and was reduced by 鈧1,000 as part of Government measures to help people grapple with inflation.
The temporary 鈧1,000 euro was first announced in 2022 and extensions were confirmed in 2023 and 2024.
Students whose households have a joint income below 鈧100,000 could also apply for a grant through SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to secure a further 鈧500 fee reduction.
Mr Lawless said he intends to 鈥渨ind down鈥 the student contribution fee over the lifetime of the Government, but said 鈥渋t is complicated鈥.
Cork North Central Labour Party TD Eoghan Kenny said that a pledge in the Programme for Government to gradually abolish student fees was barely six months old but now the Government appeared to be going in the opposite direction.
Mr Kenny pointed to the document in which it was stated that the Government would 鈥渃ontinue to reduce the Student Contribution Fee鈥 during its lifetime 鈥渢o ease the financial burden on students and families at the start of each academic year in a financially sustainable manner鈥.
鈥淭his is going to have a seriously negative impact on those from disadvantaged areas or from disadvantaged backgrounds,鈥 he said. 鈥淔ianna F谩il and Fine Gael never represented working class people in this country and we鈥檙e calling on Minister James Lawless to reverse this decision immediately.鈥
The proposed hike was described as a 鈥渞egressive and cynical move in the midst of a national crisis鈥 by Independent Ireland chairman and Cork North Central TD Ken O鈥橣lynn who suggested it was a 鈥渃allous reversal of progress and betrayal of the next generation鈥.
鈥淭he minister needs to go back to class and learn some cost-of-living arithmetic because this makes no sense whatsoever,鈥 he said, describing it as a 鈥渢ax on tutorials鈥.