21st July, 2010

The Union of Students in Ireland has condemned reports that the Hunt group is to support the reintroduction of Higher Education tuition fees for the students of this country.

USI strongly disagrees with Dr. Colin Hunt’s opinion that new forms of “non-State funding” are necessary to solve the financial crisis facing Irish third level institutes. 

Tuition fees, in the form of a graduate tax or in any other guise, will only prevent thousands of people from accessing Higher Education, and will force thousands of students to drop out of colleges and universities. 

During a briefing to USI last week, Dr. Hunt would not be drawn on the specifics of any aspects of the Hunt Report. USI is concerned that leaks from the report prior to its publication is a kite-flying exercise to garner public support on the issue. 

Leaders from student unions around Ireland congregated this week (July 19- 24) in Galway for the USI’s annual Union Organisation Seminar (UOS), where they will be discussing plans to combat the return of fees. 

USI - the sole national representative body for almost 250,000 students in Ireland – fought successfully in the past to abolish tuition fees, and to keep them off the Government’s agenda. The organisation will continue to campaign tirelessly against fees, as it has done the past 50 years.

 Gary Redmond, USI President, said:

 “In light of the devastating recession the country is currently facing, education needs to be the main focus of our economic recovery plan. This means widening participation in Higher Education and not reducing it.

The return of college fees, disguised as a tax on graduates or in any other form, will only stunt Ireland’s recovery. Tuition fees will act as a major barrier to Higher Education. We need to encouraging people to up skill, not prevent them from doing so.

Hardworking people have already been hit hard by this recession and now the Government wants to hit them even harder by charging them to go to college. USI will stand by Ireland’s current and potential students in fighting for their right to a free education. They are the key to dragging Ireland out of this recession.”