Minister red-faced over fees mistake

EDUCATION Minister Batt O’Keeffe has conceded his embarrassment over the publication of inaccurate figures on how much money the introduction of college fees would raise for the state.

But he also gave another indication that any family earning less than €120,000 a year would probably be exempt from paying fees for their children’s third-level education under any proposals he might bring to Government.

The leaked details of figures produced at the minister’s request by his friend, economist Dr Noel Woods of University College Cork, suggested that anything between €220 million and €530m a year could be raised from fees, depending on the income level at which colleges could begin charging families.