Dr Sean Farren

Dr Sean Farren, the new Northern Ireland Minister for Further and Higher Education, will play a key role in the university education of thousands of Irish students from both North and South. On the key question of fees, however, he is keeping everyone guessing.

Hardly was the paint on the nameplate of his office door dry than Farren, himself a lecturer at the University of Ulster until his election to the Assembly for the SDLP, gave his first interview.

Needless to say the issue of fees for university courses was the first to be raised. The article, in the Belfast Telegraph was headlined "student fees set to stay in place", but Farren's press office insists that this decision has not been made. However, almost everything the Minister says seems to be softening up opinion to accept the retention of fees.

Although it was SDLP party policy (like that of most other parties) to call for the abolition of student fees, Farren has been quick to highlight the fact that only 30 per cent of students in the North pay full tuition fees anyway. People also "have to appreciate the level of discretion that is available to us in moving in this area", he said. "This is one of the very real issues that we have to face and realise that we work within a defined budget."

There are signs of some kind of change on the horizon, however. Farren says he is still committed to easing the burden on students. "Our objective has to be to ensure that students can pursue their courses without hardship," he says, adding that his department will be taking a lot of account of work being done by the Scottish assembly in looking at the area.