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news report
 Wednesday February 05, 2003 18:55 by Flanagan head_office at labour dot ie Ely Place, Dublin 2 6784700
 Labour opposed to re-introduction of college fees Labour's Spokesperson on Education, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan has challenged the Government to state clearly whether third level fees will be re-introduced. As students took to the streets in protest at the threatened re-introduction of fees, Deputy O’Sullivan said that the Minister for Education has subjected students to a litany of threats and warnings. “Once again Noel Dempsey has forced students onto the streets. Since August of last year – timed very cynically to coincide with the distribution of the Leaving Cert results – the Minister first floated the idea that fees might return. He continued to threaten students in this way as they received their CAO offers, threatened them again as they took up their places in college, again this January as CAO forms were being filled and now again as students submit their applications”, said Deputy O’Sullivan. “Students are being treated as pawns by Dempsey and McCreevy et al on the chessboard that is the Government’s fiscal policy. They are looking around for the next victim to carry the can for more cutbacks”. “Exchequer-funded third level education is a right, not a privilege. There has been a huge shift in thinking in Fianna Fail on this issue from the time when Noel Dempsey’s predecessor, Donogh O’Malley introduced free secondary education in 1967. Fianna Fáil today does not believe in the same approach to universally free third level education”. “If Fianna Fáil and the PDs are so anxious to increase funding for third level they have many available options. They could begin with a thorough overhaul of the grants system and use the taxation system to support students and our third level institutions” “Noel Dempsey and the cowering Government backbenchers should now indicate clearly for once and for all that fees will not be re-introduced.
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Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5I was at that demo and the Labour Party were laughed at by many students. When Pat Rabbite was speaking I heard many students ask 'who is that eejit?', 'he's a terrible speaker'etc. He really was terrible, nobody listened to him even Enda Kenny got more of a cheer.
I also saw the face on Rabbite when Joe higgins was calling on solidarity action against fees to be called for by the leadership of the Trade Union movement, he was just looking down and seemed very embarrased. He also seemed to be coughing and looking around nervously when Joe Higgins slammed 'partnership' deals.
Nobody really believes that the Labour Party are genuine in their oppostion to fees, like war they are jumping on this bandwagon for electoral gain.
Some people at the front were calling him a sticky bastard as well. I couldn't see who it was. He certainly heard it though :)
I remember way back when Democratic Left were in Government and college fees were abolished. The flack they had to take from the 'real left' (i.e rich kids playing at being socalists/provos and professional do nothing cranks)
I was running the web site for DL (briefly) at the time and the very same people who objected to the move as mostly helping the middle class (which it did, if not qualifing for a grant makes you middle class) are now saying restoring fees is an attack on the poor.
Of course the likes of Joe Higgins are more interested in sound bites and new recruits to the politics of slogans then a consistent train of though.
Will we see 8000 students against the war?
We would like to see 8000 students on February 15th but I doubt that we will. There are just too many idiots who go to college because it's a 4 year trip to the fucking pub! Met some today on the march. Upper middle calss kids from no particular rugby playing areas in dublin to be mentioned. There are too many ignorant fucks in the colleges right now. Then they al go off and get a job in daddy's company! Still there will be a sizeable number of students expected. They are not all idiots.