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

We all recall the promise made by the Labour Party in advance of the last general election, namely, that it would reduce the student contribution fee to €1,500. Instead, what has happened is that each student attending third level education is now being asked to pay €3,000, which is twice the fee to which the Labour Party committed prior to the last general election. Also, not one euro of the additional €1,500 which students are now being charged over and above what the Labour Party promised they would be charged goes to the third level sector. It is being absorbed into the general Exchequer. Meanwhile, the students who are now paying more for their education are experiencing a reduced service. Student services have been cut radically because colleges do not have the funding to provide them. Students are also faced with increased pupil-teacher ratios as a result of reductions in staff.

Given the expected 30% increase in third level student numbers over the next 15 years the current situation is not sustainable and must be addressed by Government. The CEO of the Higher Education Authority has indicated to Government that this is simply not manageable and that additional funding is required. This is not an issue the Government can continue to kick down the road until after the next general election. We need a real and meaningful indication of what additional funding will be provided to cater for those additional students and real action to address the crisis facing the third level sector.

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