Funferal

Free fees do work

According to Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan, new HEA/ESRI figures “give the lie to the view that the abolition of fees in the mid-90s has not produced any discernible effects on access to third level.” Attendance at third-level by those from semi-skilled and unskilled manual backgrounds has increased from 1/4 to half since free fees were introduced. So much for the calls for a reintroduction of fees in order to increase equity and equality of opportunity. Good to see, too, that the HEA is, according to O’Sullivan, suggesting things that should have a positive impact – such as creating closer links between schools and third-level institutions.