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

What will fees be in September? Will they be €2,000 or €3,000? This is the fourth time the Minister has been asked that question so could he give a direct answer to that question? What will students and their families be hit with in September? Can the Minister answer that question? In terms of dismissing things, it seems as if this Government is dismissing what it promised students and their families it would do in the programme for Government, namely, to reduce student fees. It seems the Minister is dismissing the concerns of families in terms of their household budgeting. Anyone reading the programme for Government in black and white and seeing the commitment to reduce fees would reasonably have thought that fees would be going down and not up. The Minister is dismissing that and the concerns of households and families. They need certainty and clarity. The Minister has been asked four times today to provide certainty and clarity on this and he has failed to do so. I am giving him a final opportunity to clarify whether fees will be €2,000 or €3,000 this September.

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