Any return to third level fees must be fair

The government, and in particular the Green Party members, are at the moment grappling with their conscience over the re-introduction of fees for third-level education. With the economy in downturn, every method of saving money and bringing increased revenue to the exchequer is being analysed, and has come into focus with the impending presentation of the 'Bord Snip" cutbacks report to the cabinet. It will be interesting to see how the government handles the debate on the fees issue, which will become a hot potato, especially when the students get engaged in the issue after the summer holidays and begin demonstrating again. However, there may not be as much an appetite for opposing some form of contribution towards education across the political spectrum as there was when the former Education Minister Noel Dempsey floated the idea over six years ago. Green Party minister Eamon Ryan"s remarks at the weekend were regarded as a 'softening" on the issue and Fine Gael some months ago, while ruling out the introduction of third-level college fees, said that a new graduate PRSI contribution scheme would raise in the region of €500 million per year for the sector. The new scheme proposed by Fine Gael would allow for the abolition of college registration fees and see new entrants to college, after graduation, make a contribution through the PRSI system to the value of 30 per cent of the cost of their college education. These funds would be ring fenced for the third-level sector. Those opposed to the introduction of fees include Sinn Fein, and, naturally, the Labour Party, whose former Education Minister Niamh Bhreathnach was responsible for the abolition of the fees in John Bruton"s Rainbow Coalition, in 1995. In September 2002, the then minister, Noel Dempsey, proposed the reintroduction of fees for those who could afford them, saying the wealthy should be able to meet their own expenses, and proposed an annual charge of between €4,000 and €5,000. The following year, he ended up in the not unfamiliar place of being in a stand-off with his cabinet colleagues, but the Taoiseach of the day, Bertie Ahern, left open the possibility of students from families earning more than €20,000 a year could be charged. In May of that year, the international body the OECD were asked by Mr Dempsey to review the third-level situation system in Ireland. Mr Dempsey favoured an Australian-type system of long-term loans or deferred payments, rather than upfront fees. When the OECD examined this issue, it stated that no evidence was produced that the decision in 1995 to abolish fees had more than a limited impact on the disparity of participation rates amongst the different social/occupational classes. In more recent times, IBEC has welcomed suggestions from the current Minister for Education, Batt O"Keeffe, that the Government is considering the reintroduction of tuition fees to help address the serious under-funding in the third-level sector. The Confederation 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. IBEC said that 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. 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, they said. However, if tuition fees for undergraduate study are reintroduced, the additional income must not be offset against reductions in state funding and should represent a real increase in resources for third-level education. They said any reintroduction of fees must be accompanied by a sound student finance system. This should include a significantly reformed means-tested support scheme, under which a fee waiver and adequate maintenance support is available to assist the less well-off and other students with particular needs. There are a number of different approaches to the re-introduction of a private contribution to the funding of higher education, such as subsidised loans and graduate contribution schemes. The suitability of these scheme to the Irish situation requires detailed analysis and careful consideration. It is important that whatever system is put in place will strengthen third-level education without undermining wider participation and social inclusion.