Taxpayers to foot bill for leap in third-level funding

TAXPAYERS will be asked to fork out “a quantum leap” in funding for universities in the near future after Education Minister Noel Dempsey firmly ruled out the re-introduction of third-level fees last night.

Mr Dempsey said the issue was off the agenda for the Government, despite an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report which recommended a policy reversal on fees.

While acknowledging its political sensitivity, the report backed the re-introduction of fees because of the third-level colleges’ overdependence on State funding.