Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The Minister's Government is all over the place on student fees. We have had the Minister for higher education, Deputy Lawless, clearly state on Sunday that without a cost-of-living package in the budget, college fees will go up by €1,000 in September. His position was then backed-up by the Taoiseach. Let us clear up this mess today. I have just one simple question for the Minister and it is the same question that has been anxiously asked at kitchen tables all over the country. When students get their bill in September, how much will they be asked to pay? Will it be €2,000 or €3,000? Students and their families need an answer to that question today. It is the only question I have for the Minister.

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