Third-level fees too high but will take 'a number of years' to come down, says Harris

Government is to invest €307m in the higher and further education sector but no promises have been made on reducing the €3k registration fee

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris says the view of government is that they should reduce the cost of education and there's a legitimate debate as to whether you do it through grants or fees.

It will take "a number of years" before third-level registration fees are reduced, despite the minister for further and higher education acknowledging that they are too high.

Simon Harris says it is his ambition to cut the fees "over a number of years".

The Government will invest €307m in the sector after an agreement at Cabinet on Tuesday, however no promises have been made on reducing the €3,000 registration fee.

“I'm not misleading people here. Over a number of years, [the aim is] to significantly reduce the registration fee. I think it is just at a level that is reflective of an austerity era,” Mr Harris said, speaking on RTÉ radio.

“In the October budget there will be a package to support students. We look at both the grants and the fees and we’ll decide.

“There’s a very clear intention that this year in the budget we will do more things to help students, and have a debate over how much you do and fees versus how much you do on grants.

“But let me be really clear in case anybody thinks that I'm in any way ambiguous on this.”

I believe that €3,000 registration fee is too high. I believe it needs to come down.

"I've said that many times. And that's the that's the approach."

Mr Harris says the view of Government is that it should reduce the cost of education and there's a legitimate debate as to whether you do it through grants or fees.

“My own view is that we should do a blend of both because I believe if you only do two grants, there will always be people who fall outside the level for a grant and need a reduction in the fee,” he said.

"Many many austerity measures have been fixed and rectified. This one hasn't. 

"And that's why I'm trying to apply an attention to very clearly reducing fees and improving grants as part of this plan is a core element of it along with investing more in higher education.” 

Student loans off the table

Student loans are also off the table, as the Government agreed on Tuesday.

“Let me be crystal clear and the Government agreed yesterday and made a formal decision that student loans are off the table, they're not equitable.

“They burden young people with more debt when they leave college at a time when they're trying to meet lots of other pressures in life. 

“They're not fair. And quite frankly, they also don't work. And it requires the State investing lots and lots of money before it gets any back. So they're absolutely off the table,” Mr Harris added.

Some €307m will be invested in the sector, as agreed by Minister Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath.