Student fees will only go down under Government, says minister

The Government introduced a permanent €500 reduction in student contribution fees in October’s Budget 2027, reducing annual fees from €3,000 to €2,500.

However, the move drew criticism because fees had stood at €2,000 the previous year due to temporary cost-of-living supports.

While the Programme for Government commits to further fee reductions, Mr Lawless said in a recent parliamentary response that overspending within the Department of Education could limit his plans.

Speaking at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in Dublin on Saturday, Mr Lawless said his comments had been “misrepresented”.

He said fees would continue to decrease during the lifetime of the Government, though he did not confirm whether further cuts would be announced in October’s Budget.

"In last year's budget, I delivered a very strong package for students. I reduced the student contribution fee by €500, the first permanent cut in 30 years. [I] increased thresholds, increased grant amounts, increased the student assistance fund, and published the student accommodation strategy. 

"So, trying to provide a number of measures to target students, and I want to continue to do that this year, and it's very much my intention."

He added: “The only direction fees will go on my watch is down.

"The cuts that I've introduced are there to stay, and I hope to build upon those in each successive budget, but I also want to focus on targeted measures where we identify cohorts within society, whether that's a student with a disability, whether it's a family with a disadvantage, those in economic disadvantage, whether it's the squeezed middle with perhaps of a number of children are students in college at one time in a family, and want to have some additional supports for that, because that is expensive."

Mr Lawless said he was “looking at targeted measures, identifying particular cohorts that are under pressure, giving those cohorts additional support that they need”.

However, he said that while it remained his intention to continue reducing the base fee, it was important “to do that in a targeted, measured and sustainable fashion”.