'Hiking college fees is a betrayal of students - it's adding fuel to the fire'

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, and spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Donna McGettigan TD, have labelled the government plan to hike college fees by €1,000 in a cost of living crisis a ‘betrayal’ students and parents won’t forget.

They were speaking ahead of Sinn Féin’s Dáil motion to cut fees as part of a plan to completely abolish them, which will be debated this Tuesday evening and voted on this Wednesday evening.

Teachta Doherty said: “There is a cost-of-living crisis raging and instead of helping students and parents the government is adding fuel to the fire. “Minister for Higher Education, James Lawless, sent real fear through households last Sunday when he said fees would go up by €1,000 because there was no cost-of-living package in this year’s budget.

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“This was the last thing students and their parents needed or expected to hear. Promises had been made, not only in the election campaign, but in black and white in the programme for government.

“Students and parents across the state have made decisions based on the commitment that fees would not go up. This is a suckerpunch to families that have simply not planned or budgeted for an extra €1,000 for every student. This will impact over 90,000 students, and for many will mean the difference between going to college or not.

“We have the financial resources, and it makes economic sense to invest in your people. The government needs to turn around and go in the opposite direction on college fees. They should be reducing fees like they promised. Education is a right and should be free and available to everyone.”

Teachta McGettigan said: “In a move that stinks of elitism, the government has once again targeted students and their families by hiking up student fees.

“It’s not policy, it's punishment - punishment for daring to dream of bettering yourself, punishment for believing that education should be a right and not a privilege. The government’s refusal to say whether costs will be €2,000 or €3,000 is a slap in the face to students and families who now cannot budget for the year ahead.

“€1,000 whether paid in installments or one in one lump payment, is still €1,000 that a lot of people simply cannot afford. Sinn Féin has the backs of students, and our Dáil motion calls for an introduction of a cost-of-living package, including canceling the €1,000 fee hike, reducing fees further by €500 and to permanently abolish student fees within two years.”