Sinn Féin TD and Oireachtas Further and Higher Education Committee member Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin has strongly condemned the government’s decision to increase student fees by €1000, calling it a “scandalous slap in the face” for young people and their families during an escalating cost-of-living crisis.
Speaking out against the fee hike, Deputy Ó Súilleabháin said the move highlights how out of touch the government is with the financial realities facing ordinary workers and households across Ireland. “Families are already struggling with soaring costs for groceries, rent, and energy bills, and now students and their families are being asked to pay even more just to access further education,” he said.
In a statement to South East Radio, he warned that the fee increase, coupled with the recent erosion of protections for student renters, risks pricing many young people out of college and university, forcing some to seek opportunities abroad in countries like Australia and Canada.
Calling on Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless to reverse the decision, the TD emphasized Sinn Féin’s commitment to supporting ordinary people and creating a society where young people can thrive and build their futures at home.
“As part of our cost-of-living campaign, we will be proposing a €1500 reduction in student fees this September as a first step toward abolishing fees altogether. We will not stop pushing until this government understands and addresses the real pressures on families across the country,” he concluded.
