Education is a right, not a privilege

national | miscellaneous | 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.