logo
Students rail against possible rise in third-level fees

Students rail against possible rise in third-level fees

Irish Times03-07-2025
An increase in
third-level
fees this year would be 'sickening', one student told
The Irish Times
, as the
Union of Students in Ireland
(USI) called the proposed return to €3,000 annual payments 'a cynical and calculated betrayal' by the Government.
For the past three years, a cost-of-living measure has reduced the student contribution of €3,000 by €1,000.
This week,
Minister for Higher Education James Lawless
suggested that the end of temporary cost-of-living packages would mean that fees payable by students would increase. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there was no funding earmarked at present for avoiding an effective €1,000 increase this year.
Students and their representative bodies have expressed concern over the financial strain this hike in fees would place on those already struggling to fund their studies. Some described spending several hours commuting daily to afford college, while others said they had skipped meals to cut costs.
READ MORE
President of IADT students' union Lavender-Jane Gartlan feels the potential increase in fees is a 'slap in the face' to lower-income students and families.
Lavender-Jane Gartlan: 'We ended up having to set up a network of students that were willing to give up a couch.'
Gartlan, who graduated from a film design course in 2024, said she doesn't want to see a student in the same position she found herself in while studying.
'I received a Susi [Student Universal Support Ireland]grant to cover my fees, but still, during my studies, I was homeless twice, sleeping in my friends' houses and trying to get by, working 25 to 35 hours a week to save up enough money to rent somewhere.'
She said this caused her health to suffer and her grades to drop, often leaving her choosing between food and bus fare.
Last year, she was aware of 'about six students' experiencing homelessness, with some living out of their cars.
'We ended up having to set up a network of students that were willing to give up a couch' to those who couldn't find or afford accommodation, she said.
She believes an increase in fees would be the Government telling students, 'we don't care about you'.
'Where is the Government's compassion? When did being kind and wanting everyone to be treated equally become an act of such defiance?'
Alex Angland, president of the students' union in University College Cork (UCCSU), has also seen students 'attending lectures hungry due to financial pressures'.
A cost-of-living report published by UCCSU in September found that more than half of students' college experiences were negatively affected by the costs involved.
He said the fee reduction 'has been a significant aid to students these past years, ensuring that a more financially diverse cohort can avail of third-level education.'
University College Cork students' union believes 'the cost of living package should be renewed, Susi should be reformed, and the Government must invest in student accommodation'.
On Monday, the USI branded the move as 'regressive' and 'a cynical and calculated betrayal of students. The timing is no coincidence – aligning with the July 1st CAO change-of-mind deadline, leadership transitions within student unions, and now, this sudden rollback.'
During the summer months, students' union officers are involved in handover processes to newly elected staff.
USI president Bryan O'Mahony said the proposed fee increase is 'not just cowardly, it's disgraceful'.
'After years of chronic underinvestment, students continue to pay the price,' said O'Mahony. 'Was the fee reduction merely a short-term election stunt? Are we expected to endure the same cycle of pre-election sweeteners followed by post-election reversals?'
Trinity College's students' union president, Seán Thim O'Leary, echoed O'Mahoney's sentiment, saying the announcement of a potential fee increase 'was deliberately timed to dodge accountability from student unions, as leadership across the country switches hands'.
Thim O'Leary believes the Government has shown 'utter contempt for student welfare at a time when students are being forced into couch surfing, hours-long daily commutes, and homelessness.
'What is needed now from the Government, if they have any intention of showing care towards students, is a return to a policy of fee reduction for the coming academic year, an increase in per capita core funding for higher education and urgent and meaningful reform of Susi.'
Darragh McCusker, a final-year applied psychology student at IADT, said that while his parents help pay his fees, he will still feel the impact of a €1,000 increase.
Darragh McCusker is not really 'surprised' that the student contribution fee may return to its original cost.
McCusker drives from Kildare to IADT's Dún Laoghaire campus every day, which costs him up to €70 in petrol a week. He works full time during the summer and both weekend days during term time to support himself.
He said he's 'not really surprised' that the student contribution fee may return to its original cost.
He believes fees were brought down 'coming up to election time' so political parties 'look like they're doing something for students'.
Patrick Flynn describes the potential increase in third-level fees as 'sickening'.
Patrick Flynn also commuted, spending four hours travelling daily by bus to and from home in Nobber, Co Meath, for the duration of his studies in Trinity College Dublin.
Having just completed an undergraduate degree in environmental sciences, Flynn plans to start an online master's programme at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in September as a means to save money.
He describes the potential increase in third-level fees as 'sickening but not surprising', adding that 'it's very in keeping with what I've come to expect from the Government'.
Renting in Dublin was not a financially viable option for Flynn, like many others, but the time spent commuting often came at a personal cost. 'I was frozen out of parts of the college experience,' he said, 'missing out on character building and fun experiences'.
Flynn worked throughout his summer holidays and on weekends as a teaching assistant at the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland in DCU.
'I couldn't go without working, but this was an extra pull on already limited time. I really had to stretch myself in the last month of the semester. It was touch and go on whether I'd have any money in my account.'
Given that he was able to avail of a reduction in contribution fees, Flynn anticipates plans to hike fees will place 'a very material strain' on students, many of whom he says are 'already struggling in precarious positions'.
Maisie Hall: 'While we might expect the Government to be out of touch with most aspects of student life at this point, you would hope that they would be aware that the situation is only getting worse.'
University of Galway students' union president Maisie Hall said a fee increase could be the difference between students receiving, or not receiving, a third-level education.
'While we might expect the Government to be out of touch with most aspects of student life at this point, you would hope that they would be aware that the situation is only getting worse.'
She feels 'as though a decision has been made on our behalf that the cost-of-living crisis has ended for students. I can guarantee you it has not.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Guinness Storehouse offered as location for Ireland's EU presidency events
Guinness Storehouse offered as location for Ireland's EU presidency events

Irish Times

time24 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Guinness Storehouse offered as location for Ireland's EU presidency events

The Guinness Storehouse has been offered as a potential location for events during Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year. The offer was made during a meeting between Guinness owners Diageo and Micheál Martin when US president Donald Trump's threatened import tariffs were also discussed. A Lobbying Register return shows Diageo sought the meeting to 'ensure awareness of the business impact of the US tariffs' as well as to discuss the Irish and EU response. Ireland takes on the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026 and it is expected a summit of leaders and 22 meetings of ministers from all bloc's states will be hosted here. READ MORE Dublin's Guinness Storehouse tourist attraction previously featured on the itinerary of the late Queen Elizabeth II during her 2011 visit to Ireland. A note of an April 11th meeting between Diageo Ireland managing director Barry O'Sullivan and Mr Martin, released by the Department of the Taoiseach in response to a Freedom of Information request, said Diageo 'offered to work with the Irish Government in context of forthcoming Irish presidency of the EU'. It is understood the company offered the use of the Guinness Storehouse at St James's Gate and other facilities as possible locations to host events. The note of the meeting also said the discussion 'mainly focused' on latest developments in EU-US trade and the 'potential implications of tariffs for Ireland-US trade, the impact of ongoing uncertainty on investment decisions, and the close integration between markets on both parts of the island, and with Great Britain'. The two sides 'agreed to stay in contact'. Diageo is also said to have 'provided an update on their business and investment plans in Ireland, noting in particular the success of the Guinness Zero brand.' Neither Diageo or the Department of the Taoiseach offered further detail in response to queries from The Irish Times on what was discussed in relation to 'uncertainty on investment decisions' and whether there were implications for any of the company's plans in Ireland. Diageo was among a number of other drinks manufacturers and representative organisations that attended a separate meeting with the Taoiseach, also on April 11th. A note of that meeting shows that lobby organisation Drinks Ireland warned that Ireland's plans for health labels on alcohol products had been 'identified as a barrier to trade by the US'. The industry was said to be 'open to labelling requirements', but was seeking a delay in their introduction. Mr Martin is said to have 'noted the comments of Drinks Ireland in this regard'. The Government decided on Tuesday to delay the labelling measure for two years until 2028 amid continuing trade uncertainty.

Most farmers could earn more money by planting trees - why don't they?
Most farmers could earn more money by planting trees - why don't they?

Irish Times

time24 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Most farmers could earn more money by planting trees - why don't they?

To meet its climate targets and avoid billions in EU fines , the State must radically expand tree cover . But despite offering substantial incentives to farmers who forest their lands, planting has hit its lowest level since 1946. Trees are one of the best tools available for drawing down carbon and a key part of the Government's plan to cut emissions in half by the end of this decade. To meet its climate goal, it aims to plant 8,000 hectares of trees a year by the end of this decade. And to fulfil a separate European goal of restoring degraded lands, much of that will need to be native broadleaf forest. Farmers, who possess 70 per cent of the land in the Republic, are vital to achieving these aims. To enlist their help, the State offers grants and premiums to those who forest their fields. Payments are lucrative enough that, over the long term, most farmers could make more money by planting trees, according to Prof Cathal O'Donoghue, an economist at the University of Galway. And yet, while premiums have only grown more substantial over the past two decades, farmers have planted fewer trees. A new premium scheme launched in 2023 was meant to reverse the decline, but in 2024, the State added just 1,573 hectares of new forest, the lowest number in nearly 80 years. READ MORE In its recent report, the Climate Change Advisory Council and Fiscal Advisory Council warned that the State could owe between €8 billion and €26 billion to its European partners if it does not meet its 2030 climate goals. Those billions, they said, would be better spent now on slashing emissions, including by supporting forestry. The Department of Agriculture says it 'offers a wide range of generous incentives to encourage people to plant trees,' but farmers don't appear persuaded. While the State is on track to plant more hectares this year than last, according to a spokesperson, it is still falling short of its forestry targets. 'It's clear already that farmers can, in the west of Ireland, make two or three times their current income by converting to forestry, and they're still not doing it,' says Ray Ó Foghlú, project lead at Hometree, a charity working with farmers to restore native forest. 'At the same time, I do believe there's probably a tipping point financially,' he says. Given the looming EU fines, he says, 'I think there is maybe an argument here to pay farmers more'. The Government provides grants that cover the full cost of planting as well as annual premiums, paid out over 20 years, ranging from €746 per hectare for spruce-dominated forest to more than €1,100 per hectare for broadleaf forest. Any new forest, whether grown for timber or not, accrues to the national climate goal. Today, forests span 11 per cent of the State Despite the incentives, there are material obstacles to planting forest. Many farmers are deterred by the lengthy and complicated application process. And rigid restrictions on where trees can and cannot be planted have ruled out 'huge amounts of land,' according to Forest Industries Ireland . Farmers also risk seeing their trees decimated by pests and disease. Ash dieback, caused by an invasive fungus, has afflicted some 16,000 hectares of forest over the past decade. A crisis to which the Government was slow to respond, critics say. And more extreme weather, fuelled by climate change, poses a growing risk . In January, record winds from Storm Éowyn destroyed more than 23,000 hectares of forest. Under the grant scheme, farmland that is converted to forest cannot, in most cases, be converted back. Even if a farmer sells his land, or passes it on to his children, forest must be maintained in perpetuity, with harvested trees continually replanted. Speaking to The Irish Times , farmers in Galway viewed this restriction as a big deterrent. 'When you have planted your land with forestry, you have no more options left. It's in forestry for good,' says Paul Finnegan, a consultant based near Ballinasloe who works with farmers to secure forestry grants. In Ireland there is a huge tie to the land. The fact that you have land is worth more than the land itself — Farmer in UCD study While premiums end after 20 years, forests continue to provide a valuable public service beyond that, he notes. Trees continue to filter groundwater and draw down carbon. Broadleafs such as oak and willow provide a home to dozens of kids of birds, hundreds of insects, and thousands of lichens, mosses, and fungi. Even farmers who plant spruce for timber are required to install some broadleafs alongside and to supply open space for wildlife. 'The farmer provides this public good, which is now a permanent feature of his forest, without any reward going forward,' Finnegan says. [ I bought the cheapest land I could find in Ireland. Now I'm planting a forest bigger than St Stephen's Green Opens in new window ] Beyond the bureaucratic hurdles, farmers say there is a pervasive stigma around forestry. Few say they would plant productive fields, and most say they would only forest land that was 'good for nothing else.' For a 2013 study, researchers at University College Dublin (UCD) interviewed dozens of farmers in Roscommon , Sligo , and Westmeath , finding that few showed any serious interest in planting even after being told about the grants and premiums. The report found a widespread scepticism of forestry rooted in the nation's long history of tenant farming and famine. 'In Ireland there is a huge tie to the land. The fact that you have land is worth more than the land itself,' one farmer told researchers. 'To put your land in forestry is a sin.' A follow-up study, based on a survey of more than 1,000 farmers across the State, concluded that most are not making decisions about forestry based primarily on financial calculus. 'They want to farm. They want to produce food. They consider it a shame to be planting trees on land used for food production,' said co-author Áine Ní Dhubháin, professor of forestry at UCD. In a 2022 report, Prof O'Donoghue laid out several recommendations for expanding forest cover: Government should streamline licensing, loosen restrictions on where trees can be planted, and reconsider its ban on turning forest back into farmland. It should also look to establish a new agency dedicated to expanding forest cover, he said, and make yearly premiums generous enough to overcome resistance to planting. Each tree is like a calf or a chicken to me — Westmeath farmer Payments, Prof O'Donoghue says, should not just compensate farmers for loss of income from raising livestock, but for loss of a way of life. Given the rising cost of carbon and the urgent need to slash emissions, he adds, there is a sound economic case for raising premiums. Echoing this point, Dr Martha O'Hagan Luff, a finance professor at Trinity College Dublin, writes that the Government must subsidise forestry 'to a level that reflects its value as a public good'. Meanwhile, beyond supplying a financial incentive, UCD researchers say, the Government should highlight how cultivating trees can serve the community – and farmers themselves. In 2021, dairy farmer Gerard Deegan, of Westmeath, converted his land to a mix of pasture and forest. He now grows around 60 varieties of tree on around 40 hectares, from spruce and pine to oak and sycamore. 'I wanted a diverse forest, something that would be here for nature,' he says in an online tour of his farm. 'Each tree is like a calf or a chicken to me.' How has forestry in Ireland changed? At one time, trees covered more than 80 per cent of Ireland, but over the centuries forests were supplanted by farms or harvested for their wood. Early in the 20th century, tree cover had been reduced to just 1 per cent. Keen to shore up the supply of timber, the new Irish State began installing Douglas fir, Scots pine and Sitka spruce on marginal public lands. By the end of the 1980s, the Government had nearly exhausted available areas. To further expand tree cover, it would need to spur planting on private land, and so in 1989, it began paying premiums for forestry. Today, forests span 11 per cent of the State, with roughly half of wooded areas covered in spruce.

Government likely to delay VAT reduction for hospitality sector until mid-2026
Government likely to delay VAT reduction for hospitality sector until mid-2026

Irish Times

time24 minutes ago

  • Irish Times

Government likely to delay VAT reduction for hospitality sector until mid-2026

The Government is likely to delay the VAT cut for the hospitality industry until the middle of next year, creating more room for tax cuts in Budget 2026. It is also possible that the lower VAT rate of 9 per cent will be extended only to hospitality – ie, food and drink in bars, restaurants and hotels – and not to accommodation. The tax strategy papers due to be published today, which inform the budget process now under way within Government, are expected to say that such a separation would be complicated, but not impossible. [ 'Economic vandalism': Unions condemn plan to cut VAT for hospitality sector Opens in new window ] Senior political sources involved in discussions on the issue stressed that it would be possible, if complex. READ MORE Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said at the launch of the Government's summer economic statement on Tuesday that the full-year cost for the VAT cut would be almost €1 billion – which would take up to two-thirds of the available resources for tax cuts in the budget. However, three senior sources, all with knowledge of the discussions at the top level of Government on the issue, confirmed that they expect that the VAT cut for hospitality would be introduced in mid-year, possibly on July 1st. This would dramatically cut the cost of the move for next year, creating room for other tax cuts in the budget. Current modelling suggests that the full year cost of reducing VAT to 9 per cent for hospitality and hairdressers would come to €715 million. New Central Statistics Office data out next week may drag that estimate up further, however. Will the Government's big projects survive the next downturn? Listen | 36:20 Sources indicated that an introduction halfway through the year would bring the cost down to roughly half that figure, although that could move marginally up or down due to seasonal factors. The programme for government promises measures to support small to medium-sized enterprises, in particular those in the retail and hospitality sector. It emphasises this will 'entail changes to VAT, PRSI and other measures' as part of the budget process, but does not detail specific commitments. The Department of Finance has long-harboured a deep ambivalence about the benefits of such a measure. A previous cut was reversed in 2023 and there was intensive but unsuccessful lobbying from the sector to secure another reduction in last year's budget. Tax strategy group papers from last year noted the inherent difficulties in applying different rates to the industry – namely, that the higher rate would apply to all accommodation operators, including small B&Bs and hotels, as well as 'significant practical operational concerns' including those relating to packages ranging from bed and breakfast accommodation through to all-inclusive deals. Officials last year warned these could combine to lead to underpayment of VAT and additional complexity for Revenue and taxpayers, as well as increased risk of avoidance and scope for manipulation. On Wednesday, Fianna Fáil Minister of State for Justice Niall Collins stated a personal belief that a universal VAT reduction for hospitality is 'not merited', arguing on Limerick's Live95 radio station that there was 'little to no evidence' that a previous temporary reduction was passed on to consumers. [ Does the hospitality sector really need a VAT cut? Opens in new window ] Trade unions also criticised the move, describing the suggestion that tax cuts worth up to €1 billion could be granted to hospitality as 'economic vandalism'. They also argued that the facts about the hospitality sector do not justify tax cuts, saying the sector is now growing. It comes as the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council said the Government's ongoing spending overruns amount to 'poor planning and budgeting'. It follows the summer economic statement showing that planned expenditure for this year is now expected to amount to €108.7 billion, €3.3 billion more than set out in Budget 2025. Some €90.5 billion was allocated in the budget to current expenditure, or the cost of delivering public services, and €14.9 billion to capital expenditure. Both have since increased.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store