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Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Students should not be ‘deprived' of US visas for protesting, Harris says
Last month, the US Embassy in Dublin announced that students applying for J-1 visas will undergo 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media. The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M and J non-immigrant classifications. All applicants are asked to list all their social media profiles, and make their accounts publicly accessible. Failure to do so could lead to a visa being rejected. The embassy said it will use all available information in its visa screening to identify those who 'are inadmissible' to the US, including those who pose a threat to national security. It said it wanted to ensure those applying for admission into the US 'do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests'. It added that a US visa 'is a privilege, not a right'. Ireland's student union body, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éireann (AMLÉ), said the new measures represent a significant and disproportionate intrusion into personal lives and digital privacy, and that they raise serious concerns about freedom of expression and online surveillance. Simon Harris said he had 'a really good conversation' about student visas with Ed Walsh, US ambassador to Ireland, today. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Harris said: 'I think Ambassador Walsh knows the importance of the people-to-people connection between our two countries. ADVERTISEMENT 'I was making the point that we live in a country where young people have very, very strong views – as do I, by the way – on a lot of what's going on in the world and they have every right to express those views. 'And freedom of speech matters and being able to freely express yourself – online, offline, through protest – is an important part of our democracy, and I know president Trump is somebody who I would imagine in his own country would champion free speech. He added: 'So we very much want our young people to continue to be able to articulate their very strongly held views on horrific issues that are happening around the world but that shouldn't deprive somebody from going on J-1.' Mr Harris said while immigration policy and visas is a matter for the US, he said he and the ambassador agreed to keep in touch on the matter. 'Ireland and the US have been friends for hundreds of years. It's important we keep those connections going, and I wouldn't like to see anything that causes apprehension for a young person travelling to the United States – and I just made that point to Ambassador Walsh.'
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Students brand move to restore third-level fees as a 'cynical and calculated betrayal'
Students have hit out at the Government's "cynical and calculated betrayal" as a coalition row escalates around a Budget decision on third-level fees. Higher education minister James Lawless has confirmed that students and families now face an extra €1,000 in education costs from next term as third-level fees will be restored to €3,000. Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ), formerly the Union of Students in Ireland, condemned the move, saying it once again places Ireland among the most expensive countries in Europe for higher education. Mr Lawless indicated that the fees will go back up, after being cut by €1,000 under cost-of-living measures over the past three years. He told RTÉ radio's This Week programme that once-off measures will not form part of this year's Budget, meaning fees would be restored. "All of us in any walk of life have to play the hands we're dealt. If I don't have a cost-of-living package, I can't do those kind of measures that were done last year," Mr Lawless said. However, at a private meeting of Fine Gael TDs and senators party reported on by the Irish Examiner last week, Tánaiste Simon Harris indicated that he will be strongly pushing for a cut to third-level fees contained in the Budget. Fine Gael TD Maeve O'Connell echoed this view, stating the Government must continue to reduce the student contribution fee during its lifetime to ease the financial burden. "Reducing the cost of education and helping hard-pressed families is important to Fine Gael and our party leader Tánaiste Simon Harris. Now is not the time to row back on commitments made by the party during the last election and by this Government," she said. 'Slap in the face' Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to "get their act together" and keep their commitments to students and families to reduce third-level fees. "This speculation, about whether fees are going up, must now be brought to an end," she said. Sinn Féin's Pa Daly described the move as a "scandalous slap in the face" for students and their families in the midst of an escalating cost-of-living crisis. He added that the hike represented the latest example of a government that has abandoned young people, and remains completely out of touch when it comes to understanding the financial pressures ordinary workers and families are under right across the state. Labour senator Laura Harmon accused the Government of rolling back the clock when it comes to making college affordable as reversing the student fee reduction "sends a clear signal" that access to third-level education is not a priority. AMLÉ president Bryan O'Mahony said students are now facing "increased financial burdens with no consultation and no warning" despite a programme for Government pledge to continue reduce the levy. 'After years of chronic underinvestment, students continue to pay the price,' Mr O'Mahony added. 'Was the fee reduction merely a short-term election stunt? Are we expected to endure the same cycle of pre-election sweeteners followed by post-election reversals?'
The Journal
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Decision to reverse €1,000 reduction in third-level fees will 'really hurt' students
THIRD-LEVEL STUDENTS and those preparing to go to college are going to be 'really hurt' by the Government's decision not to repeat last year's €1,000 reduction in undergraduate fees. The deputy president of Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ), the national union of students in Ireland, said the move will lead to an increase in students deferring their degrees or leaving the country to study elsewhere in Europe. Higher Education Minister James Lawless said over the weekend that 'as it stands', the universal cut to college fees for all undergraduate students in Ireland will not be replicated in this year's budget . This means that many third-level undergraduate students whose fees have been cut from €3,000 to €2,000 will see the fees revert to what they were previously. Lawless said the previous fee cuts were linked to a cost-of-living package that was included within the budget, with no similar package being made available this year. The programme for government commits to reducing the Student Contribution Fee over the lifetime of the coalition 'to ease the financial burden on students and families at the start of each academic year, in a financially sustainable manner'. Lawless said he still intends to do this. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, AMLÉ deputy president Bryan O'Mahony said that their understanding was that the once-off measure 'would eventually become a permanent reduction'. 'They said that they were looking towards the total abolishment of it over the lifetime of the government. For us, we don't see it as a great start for the long-term reduction of it, if the first year of the government's plan is to raise it back up to its original fee,' he said. Advertisement While he acknowledged that the union was never explicitly told that the reduction would be repeated this year, O'Mahony said he had been involved in talks since Simon Harris was Higher Education Minister and 'the understanding was that this was what the push was for, to reduce it'. He said the union had held some meetings with Lawless. 'We weren't aware that this was going to be a full return to €3,000 fees. That was never made clear to us at all.' O'Mahony said there are 'so many students', including those who don't receive financial support from their families or those already struggling to find accommodation or afford rising rents 'are being blocked out and are going to be really hurt by this'. 'What we'll see is students deferring. Students looking at options in Europe. Chances where they can actually attend their degree and actually study to their full extent. 'So many students are working full-time jobs just to be able to afford to go to college, but they're not able to actually be in the classroom because they have to pay for it.' Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has described the decision to reverse the reduction in fees as 'a scandalous slap in the face for families during an escalating cost-of-living crisis'. 'Households are being crippled by the cost of groceries, rent, electricity and gas bills, and now the government is turning to students and their families and demanding an extra €1,000 more for them to go to college or university.' Doherty said the party is calling for a cost-of-living package to be included in Budget 2026, with a proposal that student fees are reduced by €1,500 in September as a first step to ending student fees. Labour's Higher Education spokesperson, Senator Laura Harmon, said the decision was 'completely out of touch' and would be a further burden on students and their families. 'At a time when the cost of living remains sky-high and when rents in college areas are completely unaffordable this move would hit families where it hurts,' Harmon said, calling on the Minister to reconsider the move. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
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."
The Journal
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
We asked students queuing outside the US embassy what they make of new visa social media checks
JUST OVER A dozen people were queuing for visa applications when the US Embassy opened at 9am this morning. It was a mixed group – a family of three, several middle-aged workers and a handful of students awaiting interviews for J1 visas. The smaller crowd was not surprising. There has recently been a 25% drop in young people travelling from Ireland to the US on student visas, according to US authorities. Processing of new visas for students was also suspended last month, as Donald Trump's administration ramps up vetting. New protocols now require international students, including Irish students travelling on a J1 visa, to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to 'public' . Yesterday, the Dublin embassy said yesterday that all future visa applicants will also be required to divulge 'all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years' on their visa application form . Among the students outside the embassy this morning was Éamon, who is heading to study in the US as part of an Erasmus programme. He's currently applying for a J visa, the most common visa used by Irish students heading to the US. 'It is a small bit invasive that you have to go public with your social media accounts,' Éamon said. 'I had decided last year that I was going to study in the States. It would definitely be different if you're going on a J1 working holiday.' Éamon outside the US Embassy. Andrew Walsh / The Journal Andrew Walsh / The Journal / The Journal He later conceded that he 'did not have a problem' with the recent changes to US visa application checks, adding: 'They're just trying to protect their country'. This sentiment was echoed by Jack, another student in the queue waiting on an interview for a J1 application to head to Pennsylvania. 'There shouldn't be too much of an issue, because I think a lot of people don't really have their whole lives on social media,' he said. 'America has the right to deny anyone who comes in, but I suppose it's a wee bit dodgy'. Ailbhe, another J1 visa hopeful, told The Journal that the application process was 'straightforward', but added that recent restrictions were 'a little worrying'. 'I suppose I'd be worried if I had private accounts, or if I was posting more,' Ailbhe said. 'It will definitely affect some people that I follow that would post more activist content'. 'An absurd situation' National students' union Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ) urged caution yesterday, advising those applying for J1 or other US student visas to stay informed and to be mindful of their online presence. The union criticised new visa measures as an overreach into students' private lives, warning they threaten free expression and represent an increase in online surveillance. Advertisement 'Students shouldn't face invasive scrutiny just for pursuing education abroad,' said AMLÉ deputy president Bryan O'Mahony, adding that the changes foster fear and self-censorship, and may disproportionately impact marginalised or politically active students. CCTV cameras at the US embassy in Dublin. Andrew Walsh / The Journal Andrew Walsh / The Journal / The Journal Trinity Students' Union President Jenny Maguire said the new visa social media checks were a 'fundamentally undemocratic move' by the US. 'I still think that the J1 visa is held in high regard here, but it's just not an option for so many people,' Maguire said. She said that the new stricter vetting process posed a risk of activists in Ireland censoring their content, adding: 'This is an attempt to curb and suppress political opposition.' It is an absolutely absurd situation and it cannot be normalised. 'I personally would not risk going on a J1, and I think that's awful,' Maguire said, adding that activists, academics, minority groups and LGBTQ+ people in Ireland now face an uphill battle entering the US to work. Boston-bassed immigration lawyer John Foley told RTÉ Radio 1′s Claire Byrne show this morning that students 'should be worried'. 'They're going back five years, so these students would have been young teenagers at the time. There's no telling what they're looking for, and there's no telling how they'll be treated once they get to the embassy,' Foley said. Foley explained that J1 hopefuls now have to hand over all of their social media usernames and passwords going back five years, and said: 'If you don't list them, and they catch you, you'll be denied, and you'll possibly be banned from coming to the US.' 'It doesn't solve a problem that exists,' Foley said. 'It's Trump doing what Trump does. He creates a problem and then he solves it with some ridiculous administrative move that is not going to work. 'It's simply going to slow things up. Gum things up, spread fear, and then he'll come to the rescue by getting rid of it somewhere down the road,' Foley added. US embassy delays It's understood that fewer than 100 J1 visa applications were going through the system when changes to vetting procedures were first announced last week. According to US embassy staff, the focus is now on applications from students who have applied to study in America in September for the next academic year. As a hiring freeze came into place at embassies when Trump was elected, and there are now additional vetting procedures, it's expected that the processing of appointments will be slower. In the statement yesterday, the US Embassy said that a visa 'is a privilege, not a right' for travellers and that every visa decision was a 'national security decision'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said yesterday that the new social media checks are 'excessive', adding that 'there is an issue around freedom of speech'. 'It's more the atmosphere that's created by these measures, the fear and the anxiety that young people will now experience travelling,' Martin said. The embassy said it will resume scheduling F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications soon. Additional reporting by Eimer McAuley Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
