Northwest to suffer most if college fees re-introduced

The Union of Students in Ireland is warning that the northwest is the region that will suffer most if college fees are re-introduced.

Students are staging a protest in Sligo this afternoon against the proposal. They say the amount of money paid into the local economy by students would decrease along with the declining numbers attending third level.

USI President, Colm Jordan, says a re-introduction of fees would also drive students towards big universities in the cities.

"When people are paying large amounts of money for fees this will lead to them going towards the larger university towns and away from the northwest.

"We will see a situation where people, due to the fact that they have to pay high rents, pay large amounts of money for fees, they are going to be having to get jobs, high earning jobs, which will mean they will have to have to go to our bigger cities and big towns.

"This is another factor that is going to draw students away from the northwest and will lead to a decline in their economy."