Students are being short-changed on fees, accommodation and transport

Green Party demands Government restore €2,000 student contribution fee; close accommodation loopholes; and freeze travel fares

The Green Party is calling on Government to immediately honour its own promises to students and families by reversing the hike in student contribution fees, closing Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) loopholes affecting student accommodation, and halting proposed public transport fare increases and service cuts. 

Spokesperson for Higher Education, Cllr. Eva Dowling said:

“This year’s student contribution fee is a broken promise disguised as progress. Their own Programme for Government clearly says ‘continue to reduce the student contribution fee’. After three years of students being asked to pay €2,000, the government has pushed fees back up and is now trying to sell this €500 increase as a decrease. 

Commenting on the student accommodation crisis, Cllr. Dowling continued:

“Across the country, students are being priced out of education by a broken student accommodation market. The fact that ‘service charges’ and ‘other fees’ are being allowed to sit outside Rent Pressure Zone caps highlights the lack of urgency this government has towards the hardships faced by students.”

Commenting on the proposed public transport fare increases and service cuts, Green Party Spokesperson for Transport, Cllr. Feljin Jose said:

“It could be a triple-blow for students this year if the funding for public transport is also cut. The lower fares announced in 2021 was a blessing when I was a student and new routes have made it easier to get around. Now there’s a lot of uncertainty around how much fares will go up by, if services will be cut or which public transport projects they’ll take money from”.

“I’d encourage all students and their families  to join student unions and opposition parties at the ‘Flip the Fees’ protest on Monday 6th at 12pm outside the Department of Higher Education and voice their opposition to this government’s stance on students.” concluded Cllr. Dowling.