Madam, - Your Political Correspondent, Mark Hennessy, reports (May 14th) that the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, told Fianna Fáil backbenchers that a proposal to introduce third-level fees will be brought before the Cabinet within three weeks.
The reintroduction of third level fees would indeed be "a regressive move" as stated by the Labour Party. It is heartening to know that a number of Fianna Fáil TDs and senators are opposing the move including the party's leaders in the Senate and former Minister for Education, Mary O'Rourke.
All children of the nation are entitled to be treated equally. They should be treated as individual people and provided with social services such as education on the basis of their own resources and not on the basis of their parents' personal wealth. A young man or woman of 21 is not the personal property of a "rich" parent and should not be treated by the State as a piece of property!
Third-level students must be respected as separate citizens in their right and treated accordingly by the Department of Education and Science.
Investing in the education of our third-level students is investing in the future of this society.
Let us not begin by demoralising those students with loans and debts before they have even qualified and begun to build our future. - Yours, etc.,
DERMOT QUISH, (Assistant principal, post- primary sector), Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9.
Madam, - In your edition of May 15th, a headline reading "Third-level fees may be reintroduced" was positioned above another reading "Taoiseach says market is good to buy State jet".
Need I say more? - Yours, etc.,
ENID O'DOWD, Moyne Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.