University fee hikes 'calculated betrayal'
Ireland's student union body has described the Government's decision to have student's pay an extra €1,000 in fees this year as a "calculated betrayal".
Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éireann (AMLÉ) also said that the "U-turn" on fee reductions was "a clear breach of commitments" made in the Programme for Government.
Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless said yesterday that undergraduates would have to pay more compared to last year because the reduction was a part of a cost of living package which included other supports.
Fees will have to be reset, as will energy, Mr Lawless said, and this means fees will revert to the same level they have been at for the last several years.
"All of us in any walk of life have to play the hands we're dealt," he added.
President Bryan O'Mahony said the timing of the Government's announcement was "disgraceful" and was intended to "dodge accountability" from outgoing and incoming student representatives.
"Despite long-standing promises - including a Programme for Government pledge to reduce the student contribution fee and Fine Gael's manifesto commitment to phase it out - students now face increased financial burdens with no consultation and no warning," he said.
However Mr Lawless said that he intends "to wind down the student contribution fee over the lifetime of the Government".
He added there are a number of measures that begin this September to help students with grants and an increased threshold for qualification.
"We have increased thresholds, and for the first time ever, a household income up to €115,000 would receive at least some form of support," Mr Lawless said yesterday.
"That's higher than it's ever been, and we also have a number of different ranges of support so you can get."
Watch: Lawless says student fees will revert to previous years
However, AMLÉ claimed the move will place Ireland among the most expensive countries in Europe for third-level education.
"This isn't just about fees. It's about how consistently students are deprioritised in this country. We deserve more than broken promises and last-minute betrayals," Mr O'Mahony said.
Sinn Féin called the Government's decision as a "scandalous slap in the face".
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, the party's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty said it would be a breaking point for many families.
"On one hand, they announce that they're going to end student contribution fees over the course of a government, something we welcome.
"And then on the other breath they say, we're going to start doing that by hiking up student fees by €1,000 on tens of thousands of families across the state. That makes absolutely no sense," he said.
Mr Doherty added: "This is very clearly a Government sending out the wrong signals to young people, to students. A signal basically to say that you're on your own, and we've abandoned you."
Mr Lawless said he has spoken to Minister for Housing James Browne to see how student specific accommodation can be carved out from newly-implemented Rent Pressure Zone rules.
"Although it is fairly straight forward to work out rules for student specific accommodation on campus, it is more difficult to quantify the situation for students living in private accommodation."
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