NATIONAL PROTEST
NOV 16 / PARNELL SQ / 1.30 PM
The Story So Far… In 1996 the ‘Free Fees’ Scheme was introduced along with a Registration Fee (Student Services Charge) of £150, about €190, to pay for Student Services such as medical centres, counsellors, clubs and societies etc. along with registration and examinations. Over the past 15 years the Registration Fee has increased on 13 separate occasions. In Budget 2011 the Registration Fee was abolished and replaced with a €2,000 Student Contribution. All students in receipt of the Higher Education Grant have suffered a cut of 8.8% since the recession began. On top of this, some students have had their grant cut by an additional 60% this year alone due to changes in criteria for the non-adjacent rate. In financial terms, this mean that a student who received a grant of €6,100 will only receive a grant of €2,445 this year.
General Election 2011... On February 21st, then Labour Party Education Spokesperson and current Minister for Education & Skills Ruairí Quinn TD, publicly signed a USI pledge stating that if elected they would oppose and campaign against any new form of third level fees including student loans, graduate taxes and any further increase in the Student Contribution. Furthermore, they pledged to use their position in Dáil Éireann to protect the Higher Education Maintenance Grant from any and all cuts. On the following day, the pledge was also signed by party leader and now Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore TD. In their election manifesto, Fine Gael promised to not increase the student registration fee further. During the election campaign USI registered over 15,000 students to vote. The votes of students and their family members were strongly influenced by the promises that these parties made in relation to education.
Ruairi Quinn signs a USI Pledge on behalf of the Labour Party not to increase Fees or Cut Higher Education Grants prior to General Election 2011.
Budget 2012 Following intense media speculation surrounding possible further increase in college fees and additional cuts to grants, USI contacted every Government TD by email, letter and telephone asking them would they support increases in college fees and cuts to student grants.
NOT A SINGLE TD WAS WILLING TO STAND BY THEIR PRE-ELECTION PROMISES
Why is Education Important… Education is vital to Irelands’ economic recovery. Current students will be the engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs of the future. We are the living pension fund for the rest of the country. Graduates, on average, pay 70% more tax over their working lives than non-graduates. Having a 3rd level qualification has a huge positive impact on everything in your life, from career job prospects to mental health. Almost 7 out of 10 school leavers go on to 3rd level in Ireland. This is unrivalled in the developed world. In Northern Ireland less than 5 out of 10 young people progress to 3rd level education. This figure is dramatically less for students in England, Wales and Scotland. By producing graduates of international calibre, Ireland will be well placed to foster a smart, knowledge based economy.
What is USI Doing? USI has set up a campaign website www.stopfees.ie. We are asking every student to log on to this website and use it to email and tweet their TDs in relation to this issue. On November 1st, USI and Students’ Unions across the country, placed full page advertisements in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent giving the contact details while naming & shaming Government TDs. Please contact your local TDs and tell them how an additional increase in fees or a further cut in grants will affect your ability to complete your 3rd level education. USI is organising a National Protest on November 16th in conjunction with your Students’ Union. Please call into your local Students’ Union or log onto www.stopfees. ie for more information. For more information about how to get involved in the campaign please turn overleaf.
What Can I Do? (1) Attend the ‘Stop Fees, Save the Grant’ National Protest. (2) Go to www.tellyourtd.com to email and tweet your TDs. (3) Write a letter to your TD. (4) Visit your TDs Constituency Clinic. (5) Contact your local radio station/newspaper and tell them how difficult it is to be a student; no part time jobs, college fees, cuts to the grant etc. (6) Check out www.stopfees.ie and your local Students’ Union website for more information.
National Protest
November 16th 2011, 1.30pm, Parnell Square
www.tellyourtd.com