Hanafin rules out reintroduction of third-level fees
10/08/2005 - 10:58:25Education Minister Mary Hanafin has rejected calls for the reintroduction of third-level fees to raise funds for colleges and universities.
The Royal Irish Academy, which is made up of senior academics, has called for fees to be brought back in to bring funding for Irish third-level institutions up to the same level as their European counterparts.
However, a spokesperson for the minister said the issue was not on the political agenda and was not being considered.
The Union of Students in Ireland, meanwhile, said it agreed that Irish colleges were under-funded, but the best solution was "better and more targeted state investment".
It said Ireland currently allocated 1.6% of GNP towards higher education, compared to between 2% and 3% in some European countries.
