Government “out of touch” with student fees reintroduction say Soc Dems

The Social Democrats have criticised the government’s decision to reintroduce fees for state exams.

Last week, it was announced that the government would be collecting fees for state examinations for the first time since 2019.

Social Democrats TD and education spokesperson Jen Cummins said the decision to reintroduce fees in the context of the cost-of-living crisis “sends the wrong signal” to families.

“The decision to reintroduce state exam fees will heap further pressure on families already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, and be reversed,” the Dublin TD said.

She noted that costs are already high with families, from rents, mortgages, energy bills, food prices and general back to school costs, and adding exam fees on top of it creates an impression that families are “being squeezed from every direction.”

“Reintroducing exam fees at this moment is completely out of touch with the reality many households are living in,” she said.

“The waiver of the fees in recent years proved that the state can ensure access to exams without placing additional financial burdens on parents – the sky did not fall in when families were spared this extra cost,” she noted.

“While some students will qualify for exemptions, many families who are just above the eligibility thresholds will still struggle to cover the additional expense – this move represents a significant step backwards,” the Dublin South Central TD said.

Cummins said, “there are already thousands of families who do not qualify for a medical card but are still finding it incredibly difficult to make ends meet; these are the households who will once again be forced to absorb yet another bill by this change.”

The Soc Dems TD noted that the government are going against their own mantra of making education accessible for every student, regardless of financial circumstances.”

“No student should feel that sitting their exams comes with a price tag their family can barely afford; the government must reverse this decision and commit to permanently removing state examination fees,” she said.