Government's plan to hike college fees a 'betrayal' of students and parents – North Kildare TD

Sinn Féin TD for North Kildare, Réada Cronin, has called the government plan to hike college fees by €1,000 in a cost-of-living crisis a “betrayal students and parents won’t forget.”

Deputy Cronin was speaking ahead of Sinn Féin’s Dáil motion this week to cut fees as part of a plan to completely abolish them, which will coincide with a student and joint opposition protest outside Leinster House.

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Deputy Cronin said: “There is a cost-of-living crisis raging and instead of helping students and parents the government is adding fuel to the fire.

“Minister for Higher Education, James Lawless, sent real fear through households last Sunday when he said fees would go up by €1,000 because there was no cost-of-living package in this year’s budget.

“This was the last thing students and their parents needed or expected to hear.”

Deputy Cronin said that promises were made, not only in the election campaign, but in “black and white” in the programme for government.

She said that students and parents in Kildare and across the country have made decisions based on the commitment that fees would not go up.

Deputy Cronin called the move “a sucker punch” to families that have not planned or budgeted for an extra €1,000 for every student.

She said: “I spoke this week with Maynooth Student’s Union, who said they have been inundated with students worried about their ability to pay their fees for the coming semester.

“This will impact over 15,000 students in Maynooth University and 90,000 across the state. For many will mean the difference between going to college or not. We have the financial resources, and it makes economic sense to invest in your people.

“The government needs to turn around and go in the opposite direction on college fees. They should be reducing fees like they promised. Education is a right and should be free and available to everyone.”

Deputy Cronin called on Minister James Lawless (FF), Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil (FF) and Deputy Joe Neville (FG) to support Sinn Féin's motion this week.