TDs against bringing back third level fees

Westmeath TDs have launched a scathing attack on the government over plans to look at the possibility of the re introduction of university fees.Mary O"Rourke said this morning that she would have 'no problem' in entering into talks with new Education Minister Batt O"Keefe over plans to re introduce fees based on the Australian model which would see students given low interest loans paid directly to universities on behalf of the students.'We have to stress that these are just talks at the moment and I would never advocate that middle class parents would be over burdened with fees as they were in the past,' she said.'That was entirely wrong but there should be no reason why we cannot at least enter into talks on the subject.'But Labour TD Willie Penrose slammed the talks and said that allowing university chiefs to present a plans on fee paying to the government was typical of Fianna Fail"s 'cowardly' approach to governing the country.'When I started talking about abolishing fees back in 1992 and 1993, the idea was unpopular even among the Labour party,' he said. 'But we stayed with it and had the foresight and understanding to know that abolishing fees made a level playing field for those looking to third and fourth level education.'Passing the buck onto universities is typical of the modus operandi of this government which is fundamentally cowardly.'This is a retrograde step and will bite the middle class which previously were ineligible for help because of means testing. What we are talking about is going back to when the rich could hide away assets in covenants and the working class and middle classes struggled to get their children an education. The people who were effected the most were those that worked overtime just to make ends meet, the nurses, telecoms workers, ESB workers were all stung hardest when it came to getting their kids an education.'In the last 10 years the government has continually passed the buck to Quangos, committees and surveys on this and that instead of taking the lead in policy making and this is no different,' he said.Fine Gael TD James Bannon joined Mr Penrose in his condemnation and said that plans to re introduce fees represented yet another 'stealth tax' from the government.'This is typical behaviour of a government which has squandered billions of tax payer"s money in the last 10 years,' he said. 'It is a low blow to attack the young in this way. Any discussions on this point will activate a strong opposition. A well educated race of people is the backbone and strength of any society,' he said.Education Minister Batt O"Keefe has already said that third level education must accept a three per cent cut in funding and university chiefs led by Dublin City University head Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski has called for universities to be allowed the financial autonomy which would allow them to compete internationally.