Speaking on behalf of almost 12,000 students at the university, Patrick O’Brien, condemned the recent announcement by Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe, which stipulated that the reintroduction of fees has not been ruled out as a solution to the funding problem in third level education.

He added that the students’ union is particularly concerned about the fact that the announcement was made around the time of the Leaving Certificate results and CAO offers and fears that it could have a negative effect on offer acceptances.

“There must be a lot of worried parents who are unsure about whether they will be able to keep–or even send–their children in college if fees are reintroduced. For Leaving Cert students getting their results and offers, the minister’s failure to rule out the reintroduction of fees will be a deciding factor.”

Mr O’Brien firmly believes that the reintroduction of fees would not solve the issues surrounding the funding of the university sector.

“What the university sector needs is adequate funding, not the creation of a two-tier education system where money dictates the level of education that someone receives.

Irish third level funding is pitiful when compared with top OECD countries, but the reintroduction of fees is not the solution,” he said.

The possibility of reintroducing fees for students from higher income backgrounds comes after an announcement last month that there would be a freeze on grant payments in the coming academic year.

SU Deputy President and Welfare Officer, Caitríona McGrattan, fears that any plans to reintroduce fees would only impact negatively on students’ well-being.

“Students are already struggling to meet the current financial constraints placed on them by the high cost of attending third level education. This is something that will affect everyone–those already in college and those accepting offers next week. The possibility of reintroducing fees should not be on the agenda at all.”