O’Keeffe: FG graduate tax plan welcome

A FINE GAEL proposal for a graduate tax would not be supported by the Labour party or third-level students, but Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe has welcomed it as a constructive contribution to the debate on higher education funding.

The party’s education spokesman Brian Hayes proposed at the weekend that graduates would make a contribution for their degrees by deductions through PRSI for up to 10 years after leaving college. He said the funding should be ring-fenced for higher education but that a Fine Gael government would continue to pay third-level tuition fees, with the additional income supplementing this.

However, Labour party education spokesman Ruairi Quinn said he does not like the idea of one-off taxes and ring-fencing money for specific areas of public spending.