Senator Malcolm Byrne, the Fianna Fáil Seanad spokesperson on Further & Higher Education, has warned that any cut in third level fees, which while welcome, can only be done with assurances that the third level funding base is not further eroded.
Senator Byrne said, “While a reduction in the student contribution charge would be of benefit to many, it will be a shortsighted move if the revenues lost are not made up to higher education institutions. Simon Harris needs to finally spell out how the overall higher education funding crisis will be addressed.”
Senator Byrne added that it is now coming up to six years since the Cassells Report identified the scale of the funding crisis for the sector.
“Covid has also led to significant reductions in non-exchequer revenue for our universities, institutes and colleges while at the same time, the number of places on offer has continued to grow significantly. The system is ready to snap and students will be the ones to lose out if there is a further erosion of the revenue base” concluded the Senator.