Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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9. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of third level fees in 2024 and 2025. [54973/25]

Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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My question refers to the difference between third level fees in 2024 and in 2025. It is a very straightforward question, but it does not seem to be so for members of the Government. It is very frustrating for Members of the House and students and their families. People's backs are broken trying to make ends meet in respect of day-to-day costs. To top it off, they have to deal with the massive expense of putting themselves or their children through college. Essentially, student fees have increased. Why is the Government trying to sell this as a reduction? Fees are up this year.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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That is not quite the question the Deputy asked but I will answer. The question she asked concerned the cost of third level fees. My Department provides significant funding for tuition fee supports for students every year, including funding under the free fees initiative, which are sometimes referred to as tuition fees. Every undergraduate student in the State, bar certain exceptions such as those studying a second time or international students, has their tuition fees paid in full by my Department. There are also things like the student grant scheme, Springboard and a student contribution fee, which is on top of the tuition fees which are paid in full.

Despite being referred to as free fees, someone has to pay for them. The State pays for them, and is glad to do so. Last year, the cost was €628 million. The fee for the 2025-26 year is not yet known because we are still in it. It is expected to be of a similar magnitude. We arrived at that figure through a number of ways. The free fees initiative and tuition fees come to a cost of €380 million. The contribution fee was €147 million last year, when there was €1,000 to address the cost of living. The student contribution fees paid by SUSI come to €101 million. That adds up to €628 million. That is the figure the Deputy asked for in terms of cost.

Sinn Féin's prebudget submission suggested that we cut the cost in years one and two by €1,500 and abolish fees in years three, four and five. That would cost about €1.6 billion. It is not clear whether the proposal extended to apprenticeships and postgraduate qualifications, etc. I would welcome clarification on that from the Deputy. What would we cut by €1.6 billion in order to do that? I would be interested in hearing the views of the Deputy on that. Perhaps I will come back to the other points in supplementary replies because the clock is ticking.

Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I will go back to what this is costing hard-working families. People are very smart and they know they have been charged an additional €500 this year compared to the fees they paid last year. The Minister said the Government reduced the fees last year. It contested the election on reducing them further, but then increased them. That is what happened.

There is a myth in Ireland that, as the Minister said, we have free fees and education, but that is not the lived reality or what people feel on the ground. They do not feel that is the case in early years education or in our schools. There are voluntary contributions in schools which parents have to pay because schools are unable to subsidise themselves. The Government advertised a policy of free fees and said it is doing a lot for the people, but the reality is that college fees and school contributions are coming out of people's pockets. Everything is on families.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Everything comes out of people's pockets because State resources are taxpayers' money and we all have to have respect for and be judicious in how we spend them. I am always very careful how I spend taxpayers' money which comes out of their hard-earned pay packets. It is important that we do this in a way that is socially just, progressive and targeted, and gets the most support to those who need it the most. I hope the Deputy agrees with me on that because it is a fundamental principle. If she does not, I would be interested in knowing why.

Third level education is my remit and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and others can talk about the other systems. Spending €628 million on fees alone is a significant annual support. There are other initiatives. I cannot speak to previous budgets because I was not a Minister or part of those Governments, but cost-of-living supports were provided at difficult times through Ukraine, Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, and that made sense at the time. We are now into a different dynamic. I was keen to do something that was permanent, costed, sustainable and within the baseline of my Department. That means it is there to stay and the uncertainty and anxiety of will-they-won't-they every summer is gone. There is a €500 permanent cut there to stay.

Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Sinn Féin advocated for a €500 decrease this year, but instead of that the Minister has increased it. I want him to recognise that fact and let people know that fees have increased by €500 this year. He should not fool people. They are not silly and recognise what is happening. I am a parent and I realise, like everybody else, that fees have gone up. The Minister can provide big figures like €628 million, but people are paying their taxes towards that. The Government has to recognise that. People are paying their taxes towards this, but have to pay additional costs every year for education. Education in this country is not free.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Again, it is about choices. It is about managing with limited resources to provide the most support in a targeted and progressive way. I am confident that I have achieved that as best as I can this year with the resources available to me through a universal cut to the student contribution fee. I appreciate that it is more than students paid last year. I get that because they had a voucher last year which expired on 31 December and was not there this year. The budgetary situation meant that there was less money there to change that. I cannot cash in that voucher and neither can any student. I can give them something permanent that they can take this year, next year and every other year. We may well develop that further. That is the starting point for the first budget in the first term and I am proud to be able to deliver the first permanent cut in fees in 30 years.

As well as that, and just as important, I have increased maintenance grants for all non-adjacent students for the first four bands and the special rates, which are bands one, two and three, which will make a significant difference to those families on lower incomes or at risk of poverty and target money towards those students. There is also money for students with mental health issues and disabilities. I have increased the threshold so that lower income households should not be paying fees at all and middle-income families will receive significant support, given the salary band below which students can receive supports is now €120,000.