Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government commits that significant Exchequer resources are invested in both current and capital spending in the higher education sector. As other Deputies have raised, in Trinity College, the Taoiseach's own alma mater, in recent weeks the burden of investment in education has fallen squarely on the shoulders of students with the introduction of a €450 flat fee for supplemental exams. The Minister has just said that the protests and the ongoing negotiations have nothing to do with the Government but at the heart of this issue is the Government's lack of investment in higher education which is leading to those stealth fees being imposed on students. The current situation in Trinity College is that the students are waiting for the ongoing negotiations with the university administration to conclude and the exams are only a month away, which is causing unnecessary stress for the students. What plans does the Taoiseach have to further invest in higher education to prevent universities from resorting to demanding those types of fees from vulnerable students in the future?

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