Labour will fight third-level fees "tooth and nail"

Posted on August 11, 2008 at 11:46 AM

Labour will fight the reintroduction of fees tooth and nail

"The Labour Party will oppose tooth and nail any plans by the Government to reintroduce fees for third-level education," Labour's Education Spokesperson Ruairi Quinn TD said this morning in response to the confirmation that the Department of Education is considering reintroducing fees.

The abolition of third-level fees opened up our university sector to tens of thousands of students from low and middle income families. It would be short sighted and short-termist to respond to the third-level funding crisis by imposing what would essentially be a tax on those hoping to get a degree.

Speaking back in May at a public meeting in Blanchardstown, the Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore TD reiterated the importance of the abolition of third-level fees calling it "one of Labour's most significant achievements in Government".

Eamon said: "Between 1998 and 2004 admission rates for third-level increased by 11 per cent. Most significantly, the proportion of students from the semi and unskilled backgrounds going to college increased from 23 per cent to over one third while the number of students from a skilled manual background almost doubled to 60 per cent.

"I am proud to say that the decision of Labour's Niamh Bhreathnach to abolish third-level fees was a vital part of that process."

In April speaking at Trinity College Eamon also spoke of the under funding of our third-level sector.

"We should ask ourselves whether the third-level sector is under-funded because fees were abolished, or because the abolition of fees was successful, in part, in encouraging greater numbers into third-level - numbers were not matched by appropriate levels of Government funding.

"We cannot lose sight of the fact that education is a public good in itself, from which the whole of society benefits. To reduce the value of higher education to a cost-benefit analysis based on private investment by the individual is to lose sight of the important role of universities and other third-level institutions in enhancing the public realm.

"Keeping third-level fees is about more than making accessible to lower-income students, though it has had some success at that. It is a signal that there will be no arbitrary cap on leaning, no artificial limit to a person's potential. It is the hand that holds the gate open for anyone with the ability, dedication and desire to enter higher education."

You can read Ruairi's full statement in our media centre and Eamon's speech delivered in Trinity College Dublin at this link.

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