Chris Clifford, President of the Union of Students in Ireland, has condemned Higher Education Minister James Lawless’ decision to discontinue further reductions in student fees. In a radio interview with Newstalk Breakfast on 20th March, Clifford called the move a “major setback for struggling students and families.”
Third-level student contribution fees are currently 3,000 Euro for Irish students, but in recent years have been reduced by 1,000 Euro to account for the rising cost of living. The Trinity alumnus Lawless said the universal fee cuts in the last two budgets “may not be the best use of public monies,” saying the money would instead be spent on expanding courses and student accommodation.
Clifford, who represents 300,000 students across Ireland as president of the USI, said the decision felt like “we’re going backwards,” as “we were under the impression that this was going to be a long term reduction with the hope of free education at some point.” Lawless’ decision contradicts Fine Gael’s 2024 election campaign, which promised to phase out third-level fees in the coming years.
Journalist Ciara Kelly countered Clifford’s assertion, saying that: “some people consider funding free third level education unfair and inegalitarian” as “third level education is not something that everyone engages in”. However, Clifford insisted that the government must fund education and condemned cuts to funding, saying “Ireland is at the bottom of the 30 countries in a report by the OECD in funding education” and “there’s money there; there’s a €65 billion surplus, the Apple money taxation is there as well”.
Clifford touched on the student accommodation crisis in an interview, saying that student accommodation can exploit students by making them pay a full year’s rent up-front, with international students being the most vulnerable.
