I rise today in support of my party colleagues in the continued efforts by the Fine Gael group of Senators to highlight the need for the Minister for higher education, Deputy James Lawless, to sustain and continue the cuts in the student contribution fee that were made in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 budget announcements. On 5 May, I seconded the motion brought forward by my party colleagues in support of the continued reduction in the student contribution fee. To be frank about it, I was surprised when I heard the contribution by the Minister for higher education saying he saw this as a cost-of-living measure as opposed to a sustained commitment in the programme for Government to continue the work that began under the now Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, and the previous Minister for higher education, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, in eliminating the student contribution fee.

There has been quite a concerning amount of uncertainty throughout the comments of the Minister in this whole area. How can it be that the programme for Government, which was adopted by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independents, continued the commitment to eliminating the student contribution free over the lifetime of this Government but the Minister is bringing forward a proposal in the first budget of that Government to increase the student contribution fee? It is an increase of not only €400 or €300 but €1,000, resetting it to where it was. I echo the calls of my colleagues to work with the parties in government, and our friends in opposition, to highlight the need for this contribution to be eliminated, beginning in this year's budget, the first of this Government.

I heard what was said by some of my Government colleagues in Fianna Fáil earlier about the Minister for Finance, but this is actually in the remit of the Minister for public expenditure. I urge them, through their parliamentary party meetings, to highlight this again with the Minister for higher education and with the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Jack Chambers, to give this the priority that students in third level education and their parents deserve.

I concur with my party colleagues. The Minister needs to reverse this. People are hard pressed the way things are with the cost of living. This really needs to be sorted.

Another issue I will take up today is about Irish Water. North Inishowen, Malin and Carndonagh were without water for three to four days last week. Shops, hairdressers, businesses and households had no water for four days. If you try to get into contact with Irish Water, you get a phone number. When you get someone different in the call centre, they do not know what you are talking about or where the leak is. A whole new plan needs to be put together here. Up to 400 or 500 people were ringing and Irish Water said it did not know there was a leak in Malin Head. That is not good enough in this day and age.

We are in the height of the summer now. Businesses in Donegal are really depending on a good summer. At the end of the day, if they have no water, the business has to close. Households also suffer. In 2025, it is not good enough. I call on Irish Water to have a full and frank look at the pipeline in Inishowen. For the last three days of last week, my phone never stopped with people ringing me. They could not get a straight answer. That was the problem. If people could be told when the water would be turned back on and restart, they could open their businesses and plan. However, what is happening with Irish Water is just not working. Maybe the Leader could try to do something for me on that.

I too support my party colleagues' comments on the messages from the Minister for higher education about increasing fees in the next budget. I have got hundreds of calls from parents who are absolutely terrified of the cost that college fees will impose on them come September if there is an increase of €1,000.

We know a lot of families who have two, three and even four people going to college at the same time. That is a massive increase for people.

This reduction is something that was introduced by Deputy Simon Harris when he was the Minister for higher education and was continued by Deputy Patrick O'Donovan. I remember when the programme for Government was being discussed that it was a priority for Fine Gael to reduce college fees and get it in the programme for Government. In fairness to my colleagues, this issue was highlighted two months ago in this Chamber because we got wind that the Minister might do a solo run and increase the fees. He came into this Chamber, said he had an open door, would discuss it with people and nothing would be done without talking. Since 7 May, it seems like the door has been closed and he has just done this himself. When he spoke in this Chamber two months ago, he said:

The programme for Government commits to reducing the student contribution fee in a financially sustainable manner over the lifetime of the Government. I fully intend to do that.

That is what he said in this Chamber two months ago. He fully intends to reduce the college fees because of the burden it is on parents. Yet in the very first budget and first opportunity he has as the Minister for higher education, he throws a fee of €1,000 on every child that goes to college. It is not acceptable. It is not fair. We are meant to be a supportive Government. Certainly the Fine Gael Party supports families and education. It is what we stand for. The fee needs to be reversed. The Minister needs to be brought back in line with what the programme of Government negotiated on. He was in those negotiations and he signed off on it himself. We call on the Minister to clarify his position, and roll back in line with what he said in this Chamber two months ago and reopen his door so that he can listen to people who know what is happening on the ground.