A generation counts the cost of cuts
* Third level fees are set to rise to €2,000 for students, many of whom will be unable to pay or will be put off from continuing their studies as a result of the rate. The second and third child of a family whose first child went to third level will be charged a €1,500 registration fee instead of the €2,000 sum
* Primary school pupils will be charged €50 to travel on the school bus from next autumn. The unprecedented move is part of a €4.5 million school transport savings package. While the primary rate will be limited to €110 per family, secondary school students will face a €350 charge — up €50
* Third level students will also have to pay more depending on how far they have to travel. The distance these students must live from their college or university to receive higher grant payments has doubled from from 15 to 28 miles
* Education Minister Mary Coughlan is cutting €22 million next year from student support, rising to €51 million a year by 2014
* This will cause a €22 million cut in the student support scheme, rising to €51 million by 2014. This includes a 4% drop (a cut of €8 million) in student support grants, changes to transport grants and mature student support payments
* The jobseekers allowance for the 22- to 24-year-olds will be cut from €156 to €150. Approximately 83,000 young people are currently unemployed
* The new Universal Social Charge, which replaces the income and health levies, means people with incomes of €25,500, many of whom are young people, will be hit by taxes of more than €1,000. This is almost double the previous income and health levies charge
* There will be a 5% cut in funding grants to schools and VECs supporting adult literacy, community education, school completion programmes and the Youthreach group
* The teacher-pupil ratio will be cut by 24 million (rising to €98 million by 2014) resulting in 150 extra posts being deferred
n Support for Traveller pupils, those in need of language support, and services for DEIS schools will be cut
