The government is expected to consider a plan to cut the student contribution charge by up to €1,000, the Irish Times has reported.
However, a proposal due to be brought to Cabinet next month is unlikely to include the specific amount by which the contribution charge would be reduced.
Should the government accept the proposal, the reduction is unlikely to be specified until October, when the budget is released. However, the Irish Times reported that a cut of up to €1,000 could be sought.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said in a Fine Gael newsletter: “We believe the contribution fee is too high and prevents many people from accessing higher education” and “we want to change that”.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) said this afternoon that it welcomed the prospect of a reduction of fees.
In a press statement, USI President Clare Austick said: “We know that Minister Harris has agreed with us that the student contribution fee, which is currently the highest in the EU, is too high and that it prevents many people from accessing higher education and that that needs to change.”
“USI will continue to campaign for the end of fees, but in the meantime the reduction would be very welcome for students, many of whom are struggling with financial hardship”, Austick said. “The reports this morning are very positive to see and the move would be a welcome step in the right direction and would show a commitment to supporting students and their families.”
“Making a significant reduction to the Student Contribution Charge would also recognise the importance and value of our education system. Education is a right and not a privilege, service or business. USI firmly believes that anyone who wants to attend third-level should be able to, and cost should never be a barrier to that.”
Officials in the Department of Higher Education and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform continue to discuss the plan. However, there is opposition to the proposed cut to the contribution charge from the Department of Public Expenditure and the Department of Finance due to increased expenditure on higher education and a desire to reduce public spending following the significant spending that occurred as a result of the pandemic.
A source told the Irish Times that they were surprised at the “certainty with which Minister Harris is predicting a cut in fees over and above funding for the third-level sector in general”.
Some in the government expect that the cut in fees could win back the support of young people, as well middle-class families paying college fees.
Last October, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) called for a €1,000 fee reduction in Budget 2022. Their pre-budget submission said: “As of February 2020, Ireland charges the highest Higher Education fees in the EU, currently standing at €3,000. Students studying at undergraduate level in Ireland are paying the highest baseline cost across the EU.” In November, they led a protest of around 250 students to the Dáil as part of their “Fuck the Fees” campaign.
Following the release of last year’s budget, Simon Harris said in the Dáil that SUSI expansion was prioritised over cutting fees. “I accept we have a road to travel but we took a number of measures yesterday that will help students, starting with the most vulnerable and the most in need. That is the most socially just way to approach it,” he said.
