Tánaiste hits back at minister as college fees row heats up

Simon Harris takes a direct swipe at higher education minister James Lawless in a voice note to Fine Gael TDs and senators

Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was responding after the higher education minister, Fianna Fáil's James Lawless, confirmed that student fees, reduced by €1k over the past three years, will return to €3k. Picture: PA

Tánaiste Simon Harris has taken a direct swipe at the higher education minister as a Coalition row over student fees intensifies.

James Lawless has confirmed that student fees, that were reduced by €1,000 over the past three years, will return to €3,000 as Budget 2026 will not contain a cost-of-living package which enabled the cut.

However, in a voice memo sent to Fine Gael TDs and senators, Mr Harris said while it is "true to say" there won't be a once-off package of measures before Christmas, he said "we all know that's not how students pay college fees anyway" and stressed that "the regular budget is still something that can consider how we can help students and their families in the here and now."

The Irish Examiner last week reported that significant tensions have been mounting between the two main Government parties over how funding for third-level students should be spend with Fine Gael pushing for further cuts to student fees, while Fianna Fáil wants more targeted measures.

In his voice note to the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Monday evening, Mr Harris said: 

"I just want to be very clear, the budget will obviously be agreed by Government with key input from party leaders, but it does need to help families with the cost of putting a young person through college.

That's the programme for government that I've signed up for, it's the programme for government that Fine Gael has signed up for, it's one that commits to reducing fees on a permanent basis. 

"So that's what I intend to work towards with colleagues in the forthcoming and subsequent budgets."

He added: "I know how middle Ireland is still really feeling the squeeze, the cost-of-living challenge is real for them. 

"Yes, it's true to say that there won't be a cost-of-living package in advance of Christmas, but we all know that's not how students pay college fees anyway, they can pay them in instalments. 

"So the regular budget is still something that can consider how we can help students and their families in the here and now."

On Sunday, Mr Lawless told RTÉ radio's This Week programme that once-off measures will not form part of this year's budget, meaning fees would be restored.

"All of us in any walk of life have to play the hands were dealt. If I don't have a cost-of-living package, I can't do those kind of measures that were done last year," Mr Lawless said.