“ Last week, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe strongly indicated that he personally would press at Cabinet for the reintroduction of college fees in the near future. But he did not promise that his government would maintain State funding of colleges at levels equivalent to those of today, on top of any income coming to colleges from new fees. The reintroduction of college fees will be a financial blow to middle-class families. It is a blow they may accept if the Government can prove that the quality of college education will improve significantly as a result of people having to pay thousands of euro a year for courses that are currently free of fees. But quality is unlikely to improve unless the Government promises that fees will not simply replace present State support …” (more)
[Colum Kenny, Independent. 14 September]