Minister doesn’t even have support from his own Government colleagues for student fee increase
Minister doesn’t even have support from his own Government colleagues for student fee increase - The Labour Party
- Students left in limbo over fee hike
Labour’s Further and Higher Education Spokesperson Senator Laura Harmon has today called on Minister James Lawless to confirm that student fees won’t be increased and to clarify the Government’s position, following contradictory remarks made by Fine Gael’s Maeve O’Connell TD on Liveline that directly criticised what the Minister claimed just yesterday. With the new academic year looming and the SUSI grant deadline fast approaching, Senator Harmon said this confusion is creating utter chaos for students and families trying to plan for September.
Senator Harmon said:
“What we’ve witnessed in the past 24 hours is a deeply worrying breakdown in communication from Government. Yesterday, Minister Lawless made it clear that increasing student fees is still very much under active consideration. Yet today on Liveline Maeve O’Connell is attempting to say this hasn’t been confirmed.
”This is not just a communications blunder – it’s a political failure. It is incredibly unfair to leave students in limbo. College should not be a luxury. We need long-term thinking when it comes to education – not short-term accounting. This type of chaotic policymaking only adds to the stress already facing young people.
“Labour is calling on Minister Lawless to urgently reconsider this proposal, and instead commit to building a long-term plan for affordable access to higher education for all.”