JAMES MURPHY,
Madam, - I beg to differ with your Editorial of December 10th which said the abolition of third-level fees "was widely seen" as a gift to the middle classes. It is "widely seen" as essential by the compliant taxpayers of Ireland who scrimp and save to maintain their children in college and pay a hefty registration fee - all totalling €7,000 per year per child. The abolition of fees was a progressive move which broadened access to, and vastly expanded the numbers who attend, third-level colleges.
Investment in third-level education has paid handsome returns to the State, and is just as important as capital expenditure on infrastructure. It is very poor economics to cut investment in education just as an increase in investment is needed.
Your view, and the view of Dr Mary Meaney, seems to be Dublin 4-based, as if sending children to college is the same as sending them to primary or secondary school. Let me state my own case. I have one child in college at present, which costs €7,000 after tax. Next year I will have two children in college, which will cost €14,000 after tax. I have a PAYE income of €52,000 pre-tax. (Mr Dempsey has, excluding his pay, a €50,000 non-taxable allowance for a second house/apartment.) Even without paying tuition fees life will be very difficult; if fees are restored, life will be financially impossible.
Mr Dempsey seems to believe that taxpayers like me should be sacrificed on his altar of equality of access, so that he can make people on his own type of enormous income pay for third-level education.
He is trying to solve an inequality by creating an injustice.
Mr Dempsey can easily improve access to third-level not by imposing fees, but by ensuring that existing State support goes to those who deserve it, by reforming the means test and scrapping the present farce of a system.
It is also now time for Mr Dempsey to take his battle to the Cabinet table and demand increased investment to improve access to all levels of education. - Yours, etc.,
JAMES MURPHY,
Togherstown,
Kells,
Co Meath.