Vol. 370 No. 1
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the statement made by the chairman of the Higher Education Authority that increases in fees are affecting the equality of access to, and demand for higher education; if he intends to take any measures to freeze fees and increase grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
47.
asked the Minister for Education if he will consider the submissions put forward by the Union of Students in Ireland with particular regard to the need for a third level fees freeze, bearing in mind the huge level of fees increase over the past four years.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 47 together.
I have recently met with representatives of the Union of Students in Ireland and of Universities United on the question of third level tuition fees. I am aware that the chairman of the Higher Education authority in his foreword to a report published in September 1986 expressed the concern of the authority about increases in fees.
As the Deputies will be aware, the question of tuition fees and the grants and scholarship schemes are at present under consideration by the Government in the context of the 1987 departmental Estimates. In these circumstances it will be appreciated that I am not in a position to make any further statement in relation to these matters at present. I will, of course, as I indicated to the student representatives, be doing every thing possible to keep fee increases to as low a level as possible.
With regard to the Minister's reply to Question No. 47 which he has taken in conjunction with Question No. 11, is he aware of statements by the Minister for Education at a seminar in Ballyfin College on Sunday last at which he is reported to have said that the days of high fee rises were over? Will the Minister of State confirm that our students, and particularly their parents, can look forward to a fee freeze for third level education in the Estimates currently being prepared for the Government?
I think the Deputy may take it that all these remarks and reports will be taken into account in the consideration of the departmental Estimates. The Minister is aware of the concern of parents and students and also the relevant authorities in this regard.
They are grand, sweet words and I thank the Minister for them, but they do not mean anything. There is nothing concrete in what he has said. I asked if there will be a fee freeze in the light of the huge increases granted in particular over the past two years. Will he accept that all the relevant documents, in particular the NESC document and the chapter contained therein on the provision for education, have pointed out that the high level of fee rises has meant that access to education is being denied more and more to sectors of our young population?
The Deputy is aware, for instance, that if fee levels do not keep pace with inflation one would be reducing the element of income of the educational institutions which derives from fees. It is naturally the intention of the Minister to keep fee increases as low as possible. That is being dealt with in consideration of the Estimates which are at present being discussed.
