The reversal of the €1,000 reduction in college fees, as announced by Minister James Lawless, is yet another calculated attack on young people across the island, it has been claimed.
This decision represents a broken election promise and a major step backward for students already under immense financial pressure, Kerry Sinn Fein Chairman, Daithí Fitzgerald, a postgraduate student, said.
With over one-third of Irish students reporting serious financial hardship, this U-turn is just the latest in a series of policy failures, he maintained.
“As someone nearing the end of my master’s degree, having already completed my undergraduate studies, I fully understand the pressure students are under just to get by.”
“During the last general election, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris promised to abolish college fees and scrap the student registration charge. Breaking that promise doesn’t just hurt students, it drives young people away from politics entirely. And I don’t blame them,” Mr Fitzgerald stated.
He said the decision is the reality pushing young people to emigrate just to live a normal life.
“The government must deliver a comprehensive cost-of-living package in the next budget to support young people and families. Whether it’s housing or education, the pattern of broken promises must end.”
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