Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)

I rise today in support of my party colleagues in the continued efforts by the Fine Gael group of Senators to highlight the need for the Minister for higher education, Deputy James Lawless, to sustain and continue the cuts in the student contribution fee that were made in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 budget announcements. On 5 May, I seconded the motion brought forward by my party colleagues in support of the continued reduction in the student contribution fee. To be frank about it, I was surprised when I heard the contribution by the Minister for higher education saying he saw this as a cost-of-living measure as opposed to a sustained commitment in the programme for Government to continue the work that began under the now Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, and the previous Minister for higher education, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, in eliminating the student contribution fee.

There has been quite a concerning amount of uncertainty throughout the comments of the Minister in this whole area. How can it be that the programme for Government, which was adopted by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Independents, continued the commitment to eliminating the student contribution free over the lifetime of this Government but the Minister is bringing forward a proposal in the first budget of that Government to increase the student contribution fee? It is an increase of not only €400 or €300 but €1,000, resetting it to where it was. I echo the calls of my colleagues to work with the parties in government, and our friends in opposition, to highlight the need for this contribution to be eliminated, beginning in this year's budget, the first of this Government.

I heard what was said by some of my Government colleagues in Fianna Fáil earlier about the Minister for Finance, but this is actually in the remit of the Minister for public expenditure. I urge them, through their parliamentary party meetings, to highlight this again with the Minister for higher education and with the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Jack Chambers, to give this the priority that students in third level education and their parents deserve.