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RTÉ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Fees issue calls into question cohesiveness of Government
The faces on the Government benches in the Dáil were strikingly solemn today. The reason was not merely the result of grim warnings about major economic uncertainty issued by the equally lugubrious Jack Chambers. It stemmed from a ferocious few days for TDs having to respond to calls from worried parents and stressed students. Minister for Higher Education James Lawless awkwardly revealed on RTÉ's This Week last Sunday that student fees were, as things stand, going up by a whopping €1,000. Chaos ensued and the language has since then been far less blunt from Government. Indeed, the outline of a solution is probably well advanced at this stage, but political damage has been done. This evening the Tánaiste urged parents and students to pay the fees in installments and see what unfolds in the Budget. Simon Harris's words are a strong hint that the final figure will be below €3,000 and this time it will be a permanent reduction coupled with a promise of further cuts in the years ahead. The roots of this controversy lie in the decision not to have a cost-of-living package in the next Budget, that after all was the mechanism which kept the fees lower for the last three years. But the poor handling of an issue that affects so many families does raise questions about the cohesiveness of the Government. And that is important if the economic uncertainty that the Minister for Public Expenditure cited today leads to the coalition having to make some unpopular decisions soon. Ministers would do well to acquaint themselves with the guiding principles on this subject as set down in the Programme for Government. It states that a reasonable balance must be found between the different priorities of the Government parties, adding that "this requires food faith and there should be no public discussion of government policy until there is agreement". Words that Minister James Lawless will no doubt have etched on his mind next time he takes to the public stage.
2 days ago
- Politics
'Too early to tell' if Iran has given up its nuclear ambitions: Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham said it's "too early to tell" if Iran has given up its nuclear ambitions following U.S. strikes against key nuclear facilities in the country, but the Trump ally said he believes it's still the regime's "desire" to make a nuclear weapon. On Friday, President Donald Trump seemed to dismiss the potential for Iran to resume its enrichment program, telling reporters, "The last thing they're thinking about right now is enriched uranium." Pressed by "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl about those comments and whether Iran has given up its "ambitions to be a nuclear power," Graham said, "Too early to tell. I do agree that the three sites were obliterated." But, the South Carolina Republican argued that while Iran is "done with that enrichment program," the regime is "not done wanting to destroy Israel or trying to come after us." "Operation Midnight Hammer was a tremendous military success. It set the program back, I think, a couple years," Graham said. "But the question for the world, does the regime still desire to make a nuclear weapon? The answer is yes. Do they still desire to destroy Israel and come after us? The answer is yes. Until that changes, we've got to keep our -- we're in trouble." Trump has suggested there may be a meeting with the Iranians at some point soon. Graham said he believes Iran must publicly affirm Israel's sovereignty before any such meeting should occur. "Here's the requirement to sit down and talk: They have to say, for the first time, the Iranian regime, 'We recognize Israel's right to exist. We don't like the state, we don't like what they do, but we recognize Israel has the right to exist as a people,'" Graham said. "If they can't say that, you're never going to get a deal worth a damn. So before you sit down with the Iranians, make them say publicly for the first time, 'Israel has a right to exist,' and they can't say that, that tells you all you need to know about who you're dealing with." Here are more highlights from Graham's interview: Graham says Trump told him "it's time to move" on Russia sanctions bill Graham: So what does this bill do? If you're buying products from Russia and you're not helping Ukraine, then there's a 500% tariff on your products coming to the United States. India and China buy 70% of Putin's oil. They keep his war machine going. My bill has 84 co-sponsors. It would allow the President to put tariffs on China and India and other countries, to get them — stop them from supporting Putin's war machine, to get him to the table for the first time yesterday, the President told me -- Karl: You were playing golf with him. Graham: Yeah, I was playing golf with him. He says, 'It's time to move, move your bill.' 'There's a waiver in the bill, Mr. President, you're in charge of whether or not it's to be implemented.' But we're going to give President Trump a tool in the toolbox he doesn't have today. After the July break, we're going to pass a bill that would allow the president -- Karl: And he's going to sign it? Graham: Yeah, I think we're in good shape, but he has a waiver. It's up to him how to impose it, but we're trying to get Putin to the table. On the Supreme Court decision on injunctions: "Judge-shopping needs to stop." Graham: So the ruling was, a single judge cannot stop policy for the entire country -- that's beyond the mandate of a federal district court judge. You still have judicial review, but it has to go up the chain. A single judge can't stop a program for the entire country. And that's a good thing, because people were going judge shopping. The right would go judge -- Karl: I mean, you were going judge-shopping back in the day. Graham: Everybody goes judge-shopping! Karl: I'm old enough to remember when you were all in favor of the injunction against DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents) under Obama. Graham: Totally! I mean -- and I'm here to say, judge-shopping needs to stop. We need to have a system where if you're going to enjoin policy for the nation, it's done at a higher level than a single judge for the left or the right. On Trump attacking fellow Republican Sen. Thom Tillis Karl: The president went on a tirade against Tillis last night, said he's going to meet with primary challengers, said that he's grandstanding on all of this. What do you make of that? Is it grandstanding? Graham: I've been on the receiving end of that (laughs). Karl: Yes, you have. Graham: He runs hard, and he can forgive. We're trying to do hard things that should be done and have to be done. We're $37 trillion in debt. Medicaid has grown 50% in five years. It's about to take over Medicare. What we've done [in this bill] is limited the growth to 6% for two years, 4% after that, so Medicaid is not cut.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Tánaiste hits back at minister as college fees row heats up
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.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Students brand move to restore third-level fees as a 'cynical and calculated betrayal'
Students have hit out at the Government's "cynical and calculated betrayal" as a coalition row escalates around a Budget decision on third-level fees. Higher education minister James Lawless has confirmed that students and families now face an extra €1,000 in education costs from next term as third-level fees will be restored to €3,000. Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ), formerly the Union of Students in Ireland, condemned the move, saying it once again places Ireland among the most expensive countries in Europe for higher education. Mr Lawless indicated that the fees will go back up, after being cut by €1,000 under cost-of-living measures over the past three years. He 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 we're 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. However, at a private meeting of Fine Gael TDs and senators party reported on by the Irish Examiner last week, Tánaiste Simon Harris indicated that he will be strongly pushing for a cut to third-level fees contained in the Budget. Fine Gael TD Maeve O'Connell echoed this view, stating the Government must continue to reduce the student contribution fee during its lifetime to ease the financial burden. "Reducing the cost of education and helping hard-pressed families is important to Fine Gael and our party leader Tánaiste Simon Harris. Now is not the time to row back on commitments made by the party during the last election and by this Government," she said. 'Slap in the face' Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to "get their act together" and keep their commitments to students and families to reduce third-level fees. "This speculation, about whether fees are going up, must now be brought to an end," she said. Sinn Féin's Pa Daly described the move as a "scandalous slap in the face" for students and their families in the midst of an escalating cost-of-living crisis. He added that the hike represented the latest example of a government that has abandoned young people, and remains completely out of touch when it comes to understanding the financial pressures ordinary workers and families are under right across the state. Labour senator Laura Harmon accused the Government of rolling back the clock when it comes to making college affordable as reversing the student fee reduction "sends a clear signal" that access to third-level education is not a priority. AMLÉ president Bryan O'Mahony said students are now facing "increased financial burdens with no consultation and no warning" despite a programme for Government pledge to continue reduce the levy. 'After years of chronic underinvestment, students continue to pay the price,' Mr O'Mahony added. '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?'
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at loggerheads over student fees
Another rift has broken out between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over the future of third-level college fees. Despite the two parties being in coalition, the Fine Gael press office issued a statement from its TD, Maeve O'Connell, criticising Higher Education Minister James Lawless. Speaking on RTÉ's This Week on Sunday, Mr Lawless stated that the €1,000 student fee cut that was in previous budgets was unlikely to be repeated. It is likely that fees will revert to €3,000 as the cost-of-living package seen in other budgets is unlikely to be repeated. In a statement, Deputy O'Connell took aim at the Fianna Fáil minister, stating that "Fine Gael firmly committed to cutting student fees". She said that "Tánaiste Simon Harris and Fine Gael remain committed to honouring the Programme for Government Commitment to continue reducing the Student Contribution Fee". She added: "To put this in context, for every €1 increase in social welfare rates, the cost is approximately €75 - €80 million. "A €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee costs €99 million. These are the choices that the Government will need to make as part of the Budget." Fianna Fáil sources told the Irish Mirror that these cost-of-living decisions are "made every year" by the Government leaders, adding that Ms O'Connell "needs to talk to the Tánaiste". They argued that of 143,000 third-level students, 67,000 pay no contribution fee or reduced rate due to SUSI grants. One source said: "The €1,000 off costs €100m. Everyone from the wealthiest – Michael O'Leary and JP McManus' kids – can get this €1,000. "Middle-income people are getting the same. The Minister wants to target the money to those who really need it." It is understood that there is a desire to raise the grant thresholds by up to 15 per cent so that more people can avail of the grant. Minister Lawless, meanwhile, said on Monday that the threshold for households who can avail of grants is "higher than it has ever been" at €115,000. He said: "I want that to go higher and I want to give more grants to more people than we've ever done before."
