Third-level fees - Proposals are unfair

Current third-level students will no doubt welcome the announcement by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe that they will not be liable for any new fees during the present third-level term.

The idea of introducing such fees at this time — in the middle of a school year — would be as crazy as raising the fare in the middle of a bus, train or airplane journey.

Would those who could not afford to pay be asked to get off? Thus Mr O’Keeffe’s assurance seems somewhat superfluous, but in the light of some of the Government’s recent actions, maybe we should not be surprised he found it necessary to reassure the students.

Any move to reintroduce tuition fees next term will amount to an admission that the Government was wrong in abolishing those fees in the mid-1990s. A collage loan system is being considered and students would begin to repay the loan after they start working.

The Department of Education is currently considering the introduction of tuition fees next autumn for those beginning third level whose family income is above a certain threshold, while existing students would still be exempt. This is hardly fair.