Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I note that the Minister confirmed before the Dáil today, as he did recently at an education committee meeting, that it is his intention to increase the student contribution fee to €3,000. That is a shameful position the Minister is now taking in government. Just a month before the election campaign the Minister participated in a photo call with the Union of Students in Ireland, in which he signed up to its campaign, "Your Future, Your Vote". Students pledged their vote in return for a commitment by the Minister on student registration fees. He promised them that under a Labour Party Government – the Minister went on to become Minister for Education and Skills, having been spokesperson for education at the time – there would be no increase in registration fees.

In addition, the Minister promised to reverse the €500 increase that was introduced that year. Yet now we hear the Minister state his intention to increase that sum to €3,000, thereby completely breaking the pledge he gave to students at that time.

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