Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

During the election campaign, Fianna Fáil and its coalition partners, Fine Gael, promised to phase out student fees. That is what they promised in their manifesto. The programme for Government promised to reduce student fees. The Government is now breaking the promises it made and is saying the reason it is doing this is because of economic uncertainty. I do take economic uncertainty and risks very seriously. The Social Democrats warned during the election that it was completely irresponsible to promise a whole range of spending increases and tax cuts at the same time. We said the Government would not be able to deliver on them and they ignored those warnings. It is now saying the threats caused by Donald Trump are to blame for this. Donald Trump was elected before our election took place and yet the Government seems to have only discovered those threats after the election. It is fooling no one on this. We are now just weeks away from the start of the new academic year. It is a notoriously expensive time for families. What has the Minister for higher education done? He has dropped a bombshell of student fees going up €1,000 in September.

The Minister does not seem to understand the big deal. He does not seem to understand the very real hardship this will cause. He has tried to brush aside the concerns of students and their families, telling them that all of us in any walk of life have to play the hands we are dealt.

Anyone listening to "Liveline" will have heard the distress and the anger from a succession of callers all of whom are at the ends of their tether. They are already struggling to pay skyrocketing costs for accommodation, groceries and transport and now they have another bill for €1,000 with no idea where it will come from.

This announcement did not take place in a vacuum. Costs are soaring all across the country. Grocery prices are increasing at three times the rate of inflation. The ESB is talking about slapping an additional €80 on energy bills which are already at a record high. Paying for basics like keeping the lights on and putting food on the table is already putting people under huge pressure. People do not have a spare €1,000. Every penny they have is being spent on trying to keep their heads above water. Families and students are already struggling and cannot deal with any additional costs.

The Government gave a firm commitment in the programme for Government. It promised to continue to reduce student fees. It did not say it would jack up student fees by €1,000. It said it would continue the reduction. Anyone reading that would have reasonably thought that student fees would be reduced down from €2,000 where they had been set for the last three years. This is further evidence that the Government simply cannot be trusted and that promises made in the programme for Government cannot be relied on.

Students and their families do not need a war between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on the airwaves on this. They need the Government to keep the promises it made in the programme for Government. Will the Minister keep the promises made? Where does he think students and their families will find an additional €1,000?

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