USI warns that protest actions against fees plan will intensify

The Union of Students in Ireland "cannot be responsible for the actions of individual members" in their opposition to the reintroduction of third-level fees, its president said yesterday.

Indicating an escalation of students' actions against the proposals, Mr Colm Jordan said he would be writing to the Garda Commissioner to say "the unilateral actions of students is outside my control now".

"We have been contacted by people telling us they are going to take actions we as a union would not necessarily support," he said at a press conference. "While not in favour of some of these actions, we can totally understand their reasons."

He said that after sitting down at numerous meetings with the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, Department officials and Government politicians, at which he was told "over and over again that of course they'd consult with students", the union had found out about proposals to reintroduce fees "on the front pages of the national newspapers".

"So, I am saying that although all USI action is student action, not all student action is USI action."

Pressed about what kind of acts students might take, he would not go into details, saying he did not wish to "disown or turn my back on members" by naming actions he would not condone.

He did say, however, there would be "occupations and marches".

Also at yesterday's conference was Ms Jan O'Sullivan of the Labour Party. She said she would "not condone breaking the law for any end. But there is a very strong case for not reintroducing fees."

Ms Olwyn Enright of Fine Gael also said her party would not condone "militant action".

"But we do understand that the students are just asking this Government and this Minister to sit up and listen because they have been ignored so far."

Sinn Féin's Mr Arthur Nolan said his party would oppose fees and the creation of a loan system in the Dáil "and on the streets of the towns and the cities of Ireland".

"Sinn Féin believes in the right to free education as a core principle. If the Government are serious about redistributing wealth in society, if they are serious about making the rich pay their fair share, the way to do so is through taxation."

He called for a "super-tax" rate of 50 per cent on individuals earning over €100,000, as well as an increase in capital gains tax to 40 per cent and increases in corporation tax and employers' PRSI.

Mr Paul Gogarty, of the Green Party, described disagreement on the fees issue between the Government parties on Mr Dempsey's proposals as a "phoney war". His party had no doubt, he said, that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats had an agreement in the background to introduce a loan system.

"We're afraid that if such a scheme comes in, it's going to lead to absolute mayhem. It will lead to a brain-drain and encourage 5th years and repeat students to consider studying abroad," he said.

Mr Jordan also predicted "huge unemployment problems this summer". He said cutbacks in the summer jobs scheme and the back-to-education allowance, combined with a possible reintroduction of fees, would damage competitiveness.

"I find it hard to believe that this Government would work so hard to destroy its own good. To look at its actions over the past few months, one would think they are actively trying to force under-employed groups out of jobs by dumping students onto the jobs market," he said.