USI and parties oppose third-level fees

Opposition parties joined with the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) today in opposing any reintroduction of third-level fees as recommended by an OECD report on third-level.

At a press conference in Dublin this morning Ms Olwyn Enright, Fine Gael spokeswoman on education, said her party had introduced free fees in 1995 and had also introduced a system to pay for the scheme.

It was the fault of the current Government that funding had been reduced and universities and colleges were struggling, she said.

Ms Enright also noted the State's investment in education is lower than the OECD average, ranking only 25 out of 30 name countries.

"I believe that if the Government reintroduced third-level fees they would then use this as a reason to cut their contribution to the higher education sector. This has been recognised by the OECD, who have called upon the Government to make a clear statement that any income generated by the third-level institutions from sources outside the State should not be offset against State funding."

The Labour Party education spokeswoman, Ms Jan O'Sullivan, said there was no evidence that if you introduce fees you achieve a widening of the access to third-level.

"We already have a two-tier health system in this country - do we want a two-tier education system?"

She said the only way to increase participation at third level for students from disadvantaged communities is to "put much greater support in place at pre-school, primary school and secondary school".

The OECD report, which will be formally published later today, notes the abolition of fees in 1995 has had no "noticeable impact" on widening access.

It is also critical of the levels of co-ordination of funding for research and says the numbers engaged in PhD research need to be doubled as a matter of urgency. It also points out the lack of a national strategy on higher education.

USI President Mr Ben Archibald said it was not surprising that the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, used the blunt instrument of the OECD to "give credence to the idea of fees that he himself prefers."

"Education is not and must not be, simply an arm of economic policy." He described the study now, pay later schemes being run in Britain and Australia as "mortgaging Ireland's future".

The Green Party said that it was prepared to take a creative approach to funding education and was looking at ring-fencing a 1 per cent rise in income tax. Mr Paul Gogarty said this was one of a number of ideas the party was examining.