Students to protest against threat of fees reintroduction

Thousands of students are expected to take to the streets of Dublin today to protest against the possible reintroduction of third-level tuition fees.

University presidents have been putting pressure on the Government to approve the move, but it was not part of the budget measures announced last week.

Instead, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan decided to increase the annual college registration fee by €600.

The Union of Students in Ireland, which arranged today's protest, says any move to reintroduce tuition fees would prevent many people from attending college and put the idea of a knowledge-based economy at risk.