The Green Party said this evening the reintroduction of university fees was not part of the programme for government and that ‘no formal communication’ had taken place between the coalition parties on the issue.
A spokeswoman for the party told
The Irish Timesthat it was 'not Green Party policy to reintroduce fees.'
The Labour Party said this morning it would fight "tooth and nail" to prevent the re-introduction of third level fees.
In a significant policy change, Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe told
The Irish Timestoday that third-level fees were back on the agenda. However he stressed there was no question of imposing new charges on those who could not afford them.
Labour’s spokesman on education Ruairi Quinn said the abolition of fees was one of his party’s most significant achievements in government and it opened up third-level education to tens of thousands of students from low and middle income families.
“At a time when we want to encourage more students to enter third level, it would short-sighted and short-termist to respond to the funding crisis by imposing what would essentially be a tax on those hoping to get a degree,” said Mr Quinn.
“Even if fees were initially only applied to what are called ‘better off families’, it would be only a matter of time before threshold levels were dropped and the vast majority of families would again be facing fees.
“Given that fees for many courses would now be more than €6,000 per annum, their introduction would simply make it impossible for many families to send their children to third level.”
Fine Gael education spokesman Brian Hayes called on the Greens and the Progressive Democrats to immediately state their position
“The Minister has already asked a third level review group to look at and report on this issue in the autumn. His comments this morning have effectively gazumped that group in pre-determining an outcome to their work which is ongoing," he said.
"At this stage we cannot be sure if this U-turn in Fianna Fáil policy is simply the Minister for Education flying a kite a laNoel Dempsey some years ago.
“However, all three Government parties went into the last election stating their unequivocal opposition to the re-introduction of fees and this is copper-fastened in the Programme for Government.”
Employers' group Ibec, however, welcomed the idea of re-introducing fees.
In a statement this afternoon it said the current funding system was unsustainable and called for a detailed examination to see which alternative system, involving the re-introduction of private contributions, would be most suitable.
"The free fees policy is unsustainable for economic and social reasons. Investment in higher education is essential to support the development of an economy based on learning and innovation," said Ibec Head of Education and Social Policy Tony Donohoe.
"Even before the current downturn, there was widespread acceptance that it would be impossible to develop a globally competitive third-level system by relying on state funding alone."
Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson Senator Pearse Doherty said education was "a right not a privilege and it is the responsibility of the state to ensure its provision."
"Despite being one of the wealthiest states in Europe our educational expenditure is one of the lowest – it is below OECD average as a percentage of GDP," he said.
"Minister O'Keefe's announcement today at least evidences that the reintroduction of third levels fees is on the government's agenda. To propose in a time of economic decline to make third level education less accessible is politically, socially and economically inept."
Siptu Vice President Brendan Hayes condemned the proposal as a 'retrograde step that would adversely affect the children of tens of thousands of low and middle income families.'
"It is indisputable that third level colleges need extra resources to deal with the extra demand for places and courses, but the answer must be found through general taxation. This would be a fairer and more progressive way of raising the necessary finance than by targeting the families involved," he said.
Mr O'Keeffe said any new charges would specifically target better-off families and those with incomes well above the national average.
The Minister stressed that any move in this direction would require Government approval.
While the programme for government promised no return of college tuition fees, Mr O'Keeffe said this commitment was predicated on robust economic growth of 4.5 per cent. Clearly, the economic parameters had now changed, he said.
Mr O'Keeffe said he had a responsibility as Minister to ensure the high quality of the third-level sector was maintained.
"If we are in a situation where the economy is weak, I have to ensure that high standards in our third-level colleges are maintained."
He said his department would conduct a "forensic audit" of third-level spending before making any decision, focusing on specific universities and institutes of technology. "I want to see how the colleges are spending the existing funds. I want to make sure we are getting full value for money."
The abolition of fees in the mid-1990s led to much wider participation at third level, but it has also seen a boom in private education. About one in four second-level students in Dublin attend fee-paying schools or grind schools, charging more than €5,000 a year.