Government pressed to give clarity on student fees before budget talks

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

The Government has been repeatedly pressured to be “upfront” with third-level students and their families on how much college fees will be.

The student contribution fee has been temporarily reduced for the past three years as part of cost-of-living packages accompanying the budget.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she had been contacted by a woman, whose two daughters are at university, who is “at her wits’ end” over the threat of student fees rising.

The fees had been €3,000 before being temporarily reduced by €1,000, costing families with multiple children at third level thousands of euros extra per academic year.

Ms McDonald accused Taoiseach Micheál Martin of being “dismissive” and Tánaiste Simon Harris of being “cavalier” and “out of touch” in their responses to questions over whether student fees would rise.

“Minister, you need to be upfront with students and their families,” she told Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers during Leaders’ Questions.

“Dancing on the head of a pin, dodging and refusing to give a straight answer is, frankly, not acceptable.

She added: “This is the flippant, casual attitude of a Government that has no problem reinstating big pay packages for top brass executives at bailed out banks, no problem doling out cushy pay increases for your record number of junior ministers, but then pleads the poor mouth when it comes to students and their families.

“A tale as old as time when it comes to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”

She and Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan pressed Mr Chambers to clarify what the student contribution fee would be in the future.

“Is it 3,000 euros? Because people have to budget for that, minister. They can’t just produce it out of thin air.”

Mr O’Callaghan said: “Now you’ve been asked twice, minister, I’ll ask you a third time, in September, what fees are students going to have to pay? Is it going to be 2,000 euro or 3,000 euro?”

He said there was “complete disarray” and “open revolt” in the Government over student fees.

He also said that the economic threat was used as an excuse, but the programme for government pledge to “continue to reduce” the student contribution fee was made in January.

“I’m really struggling to understand what the Government is doing here and why this fiasco is continuing to run and hasn’t been sorted out.”

Mr Chambers acknowledged that people and families were still under pressure from high costs, but said “you can’t just dismiss budgetary planning”.

He said temporary reductions in the student contribution fee was based on one-off cost-of-living packages, and the Government was “trying to take measures which can be made on a permanent basis” in the upcoming Budget.

He said that engagement on the budget would follow after the Summer Economic Statement, which sets out in July how much will be spent in the budget in the autumn, and after the announcement of the National Development Plan.

He also warned that because of global economic uncertainty, “we need to be careful” and that “ad hoc decisions” would not be taken in early July outside of the budgetary process.

“It’s through the budgetary decisions that we make that will then set out what the fee threshold will be next year.”

“Whatever decisions are made in the context of the budget around reducing the cost of education, obviously that would be deducted through an academic year if a decision is made on that,” he said.

Mr Chambers also said the Irish Government’s position was the same as Economy Minister and Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald’s stance on college fees.

Ms Archibald clarified in May that she will not approve an increase on the tuition fee cap of £4,750 beyond the annual inflationary adjustment.

She said placing an additional financial burden on students was not the way to address the pressures facing colleges and universities, after three universities said the decision would have a “seriously detrimental impact” on higher education in Northern Ireland.

Mr Chambers said: “This is the hypocrisy of Sinn Féin when it comes to third level fees, because in the North, Minister Archibald, at the time wasn’t ruling out hikes in student fees and she said in the context of the financial position that she has to work within that, and that’s the same for this Government when it comes to Budget 2026.”

The controversy over student fees arose after Higher Education Minister James Lawless said that, as it stands, student contribution fees will increase as there is no cost-of-living package to pay for what were temporary reductions introduced amid an inflation crisis.

He said he would “fight” his case as part of budgetary negotiations in the coming months, and was “hopeful” that whatever interventions he gains would kick in from the start of the next year.

Opposition politicians and Government backbenchers have said they have received correspondence from concerned families over the mooted increase and asked the Government to provide clarity.

They said it was reasonable to expect based on the wording of the programme for government that the current student fee of €2,000 would reduce further, rather than remain the same or increase.

Mr Harris told reporters on Wednesday that there was no rift at Cabinet over student fee costs, while Minister of State Thomas Byrne said the coalition was “at one” over the issue.

Mr Harris also emphasised that fees would not go up in September 2025 as those were covered under Budget 2025, but instalments are due in the new year.

Mr Lawless came out on Monday and said it was the case that he currently does not have the funds to reduce fees, but would “fight” his case as part of budgetary negotiations in the coming months.

He added: “I don’t think there is any formula that can get the September instalments addressed.”

Asked about whether there was a rift in Cabinet over the issue, Fine Gael leader Mr Harris said “certainly there is not”.