Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

Whether it is student fees or protection for student renters, the Government continues to sow uncertainty and punish young people. We should be breaking down barriers to higher education and apprenticeships, not erecting them. Worse still, while this Government is obsessed with leaks to the media and innuendo, as we heard earlier, young people and their families have no idea where they stand in relation to fees. This chaotic approach does nothing except sow fear and doubt as families struggle to cope with the spiralling cost of living. CAO change-of-mind applications closed just one week ago. Students have locked in their choices and are now waiting for their leaving certificate results. They do not deserve the added worry of how much their fees will be. The Government is playing political games with young people's futures.

Dangling a reduction in student fees as a temporary relief measure is the entirely wrong approach in any case. I believe in abolishing fees. There must be a phased, permanent reduction in student contribution fees over a short number of years until we finally eliminate this relic of the austerity era. Young people and their families should be able to know there is a reliable timeframe for the reduction of fees and exactly how much they will be each September. This has been Sinn Féin policy since those who currently sit on the Government benches started ramping up student fees in the first place. I am sure some in the Government would not agree with this policy. After all, there is a Government commitment to "ease the financial burden" on students and families at the start of each academic year. The Government going back on its word is hardly new but unfortunately it is families once again who will pay the price. Let us see action, not misdirection, on this commitment.

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