Student fees and election promise
Deputy Stanley pressed the Government on whether the student fee reduction was only a one-year election measure rather than a lasting commitment. The Minister said the issue would be dealt with in budget 2026, while the Deputy insisted students should not be left covering the costs.
I raise the issue of students. It has been a bad couple of weeks for them. I listened carefully to the Minister's earlier answers. He framed this in the context of a once-off measure, as did the Minister, Deputy Lawless. However, the programme for Government states that the Government will continue to reduce student contribution fees over the lifetime of the Government, to ease the financial burden on students and families, at the start of each academic year - not some academic years. Some of the Government Deputies are jumping up and down about this as well. That is no harm but we need some real discussion about this because the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, is saying students will be deferring degrees as a result of this or even studying abroad. We are back to the €3,000 fees.
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I have the question. I ask the Ceann Comhairle to bear with me for a moment. The rest of the Deputies got good latitude.
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They did not, I will have you know. The Deputy's time is up. I thank him. Will the Minister respond? It is the same question.
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Was the reduction just for last year because there was an election?
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Was it just an election stunt for last year or is the Minister going to turn this around and do the right thing? That is the question.
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Everybody else is entitled to fair time and everybody got fair time. The Deputy is out of order. I call the Minister.
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Many others have raised it and as I have said to others, this is a matter for budget 2026. We will engage with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, in that context. All measures and priorities are reflected in the budgetary discussions that the Government will undertake in advance of budget 2026. The same applies to the issue the Deputy has raised, as it does to many of the other priorities reflected across this House. The parameters we will set in July will outline what is possible for 2026. That is how the Government will proceed over the next period of weeks.
Comment on this
All the money was just for the election.