Student anger over UCC president’s stance on fees

UNIVERSITY College Cork Students’ Union has criticised the college president’s support for increased or new charges for third-level education.

As thousands of students from UCC and dozens of colleges prepare to take part in a mass demonstration in Dublin this afternoon, union president Keith O’Brien said university president Dr Michael Murphy has been unable to explain how many students would be able to fund higher education and what level of fees should be charged.

Dr Murphy and Cork Institute of Technology president Dr Brendan Murphy both reiterated their belief that some form of additional charge, either an increase in the €1,500 registration fee or a return to tuition fees, should be paid by students whose families can afford it to help maintain the quality of Irish third level education.

“Dr Michael Murphy talked of having a responsibility to students to ensure adequate quality of education to them, but it is clear he means a responsibility to only those that can afford such education. There is clearly no interest in the responsibility of this institution to society at large,” Mr O’Brien said.

He said both Cork college presidents’ statements were irresponsible and motivated by personal ideological opinions, rather than by facts.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) protest march through Dublin to the Dáil at lunchtime coincides with a continuing debate over Government plans to increase the student service charge which already rose by two-thirds from €900 to €1,500 last year.

However, it is understood any significant increase will be strongly resisted by the Green Party which identified education spending as a key priority in the revised coalition programme with Fianna Fáil a year ago.

“Thousands of students will take to the streets to voice their concerns and anger at being targeted by the Government in the impending budget,” said USI president Gary Redmond.

As well as the likely increase in registration charges, students fear a further cut to grants which have been cut by 5% this year. University College Dublin Students Union said it has dealt with five times as many people as last year who are seeking help with financial hardship, and the situation is getting worse every day.