Vol. 477 No. 2
170 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Education if the increase in fees for university students at UCD was notified to her Department; if so, if she agreed to such increases; her views on whether the increased disparity between these fees and the fees of other third level institutions is warranted; and the action, if any, she proposes to take to rectify the position. [8835/97]
I assume that the fees referred to by the Deputy are fees, such as deferral fees for examinations and for late payment of fees. These fees arise in the main from the needs of the institutions to meet the administrative and other costs involved in making the necessary arrangements and providing the various services to students. As such, these fees fall within the day to day operational arrangements in the institutions and it would be inappropriate for me, as Minister for Education, to seek to interfere in this area. The governance and management of universities is primarily a matter for the institutions within the broad constraints of the effective and efficient use of resources.
