Labour Youth to protest against reintroducing fees
Issued : Tuesday 12 August, 2008
Students and members of Labour Youth will hold a demonstration tomorrow outside the Department of Education to protest against the proposed re-introduction of college fees. The demonstration will take place from 12.30pm at the Spire on O'Connell Street, stopping at the Department of Education at 12.45pm with a post demonstration meeting in Dublin City Centre at 1.45pm.
The vice-chair and campaigns officer of Labour Youth, Gary Honer, said: "Since the introduction of free fees by the then Labour Minister for Education Niamh Bhreathnach participation at third level has increased, but sadly funding has not.
"This Governments attitude towards Students attending third level is woefully inadequate; already we have seen the recruitment ban in the HSE, the proposed streamlining of the grant system which still hasn't happened and now this. The idea that the government is even considering re-introducing third level fees is a further display of its disgraceful attitude towards students.
Labour Youth has been campaigning for a better grants system and for equality of access in our third level system for quite some time.
"Our education system should be one that is based on "merit not means".
