Republican News · Thursday 6 March 2003

Students face fees battle

BY JOANNE CORCORAN

The Union of Students in Ireland has been left reeling after a week in which Bertie Ahern broached the issue of college fees being reintroduced, and Minister Mary Coughlan announced her decision to discontinue the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) summer payments.

Last weekend, Ahern made comments in Portlaoise indicating that there could be a return to university fees. Colm Jordan, President of USI, immediately called for Ahern to clarify whether or not this is his new position on the fees.

"Mr Ahern made it very clear before the Nice referendum that fees would not be considered, and in light of his recent comments, clarification is needed," Jordan said.

USI highlighted this week that running the SSIA savings scheme costs three and a half times more than the free fees initiative every year.

"Clearly this government has more interest in further lining the pockets of those who can afford to save, rather than increasing the numbers of disadvantaged students attending our colleges," Jordan added.

The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) joined with USI in criticising the decision to discontinue the BTEA summer payments.

The BTEA is a lifeline designed to encourage and facilitate social welfare recipients to improve their skills and qualifications, and possibly return to work. It has been extremely valuable in tackling the Achilles Heel of education-the low numbers of people from disadvantaged groups who attend college.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, said that the decision to cutback the summer funding was due to the low levels of unemployment.

"With this cutback, the government is effectively asking the long-term unemployed, on the BTEA, to support themselves and their families on low paid seasonal jobs," Colm Jordan said.

"I find it bizarre that the minister attributes this decision to low levels of unemployment at a time when our economy is at it weakest state in years."

Gareth Keogh, USI Education Officer, said that the union has been repeatedly denied a meeting with the minister herself to discuss the situation. He added that students in receipt of Disability Allowance, Blind Persons Pension and Invalidity Pension can qualify for BTEA and that they too will be hit.

"These students, who have been brave enough to re-enter formal education to further their employment prospects, have been betrayed again by a government more interested in balance sheets than in the welfare of the people it purports to represent," he said.