Plan for third-level fees to be revealed 'very shortly'

MINISTER FOR Education Batt O’Keeffe said he would bring proposals relating to third-level fees to Cabinet “very shortly’’.

He said he wanted “to finalise a number of issues regarding the finality of the report, and I will put it before my Cabinet colleagues as soon as it is completed’’.

He was replying to Fine Gael spokesman Brian Hayes who had sought a specific date from the Minister.

Mr O’Keeffe said the Cabinet had asked him to furnish it with a report on “student commitment, which will look at fees, loans, a combination of the two, means-testing and all the other issues’’.

He would bring all these to Cabinet so it could reach an informed decision on the third-level sector into the future and what the student contribution should or should not be.

“It is a matter the Government can decide. As part of the norm, there will, of course, be interaction between the Department of Finance and the Department of Education and Science.’’

When Mr Hayes referred to the “open trench warfare which currently exists between his department and the Department of Finance’’, the Minister replied that that was untrue.

“In fact, I have not discussed the matter with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Lenihan, at all yet, in any detail, so there could not be any open warfare between the two of us.

“My job is to provide the report for Government and then let it take a decision on when, or if, any fees or a combination of loans should be introduced.’’

Mr O’Keeffe said he had personal views and had expressed them openly.

“I feel there should be a contribution from the students, and I am delighted that Deputy Hayes’s party now feels there should be a contribution as well.’’

Mr Hayes suggested that to avoid making “a dog’s dinner’’ of the issue, the Minister and the Cabinet should not make a decision until such time as a report of a review group looking into higher-level education was made available.