the greed machine- Govt to bring back college fees!!!

Monday August 19, 2002 14:58

by Ruairi

the trend of pay-pay-pay continues.....

dept of educ - www.gov.ie/educDempsey looks to bring back university fees By Pat Leahy, Political Reporter Dublin, Ireland, 18 August, 2002 The Minister for Education is to examine reintroducing third level fees. Noel Dempsey said that if underprivileged students would be best served by the reintroduction of fees, he would look at the issue as early as next year. His comments have been played down by the Department of Education.

http://www.sbpost.ie/story.jsp?bottomadvert=&rightadverts=&rightnav=/common/navs/right/sponsorsnav.jsp&leftadverts=&advert=/common/adverts/top/homepage.htm&title=Sunday+Paper&story=WCContent;id-53817&list=businesspost

Dempsey looks to bring back university fees

By Pat Leahy, Political Reporter
Dublin, Ireland, 18 August, 2002

The Minister for Education is to examine reintroducing third level fees. Noel Dempsey said that if underprivileged students would be best served by the reintroduction of fees, he would look at the issue as early as next year. His comments have been played down by the Department of Education.

Dempsey told Today FM last week that the abolition of third level fees had not increased the participation of underprivileged students in third level.

"I'm going to look at the use we put the student supports to [including fees] and find out if it's being most effectively spent," the minister said. "And if it's not helping those that are at a disadvantage from an economic point of view from getting into third level, then we'd obviously have to change it."

The minister added that any changes should be introduced by the start of the 2003/4 academic year. It is thought that the minister was `flying a kite' to gauge reaction to the proposal.

Contacted last week, a spokesman for the Department of Education denied that the minister had formally proposed the move but declined to comment beyond Dempsey's remarks. He was unaware of any review process in the department.

A source familar with government thinking was unaware of the plans and the matter was not raised at the last cabinet meeting in July. The minister was not available for comment.

The state spends €350 million on student supports every year. About half of this is taken up with paying tuition fees for all students.

"The question has to be asked as to whether spending that kind of money for that purpose is the most effective way of ending disadvantage," Dempsey has said.

Third level fees were abolished in 1995 by former education minister Niamh Bhreathnach. The Labour Party predicted the move would do for third level what Donough O'Malley's abolition of school fees did for second level education. However, the action attracted much criticism at the time for favouring middle-class parents.

Since 1995, there has been no appreciable increase in the numbers of third level students coming from working class or underprivileged backgrounds. However, middle-class families have saved thousands of euro a year. At 1994 levels, university fees would approach -- or even exceed -- €3,000 a year.