Responding to figures published by Switcher.ie, Labour City Councillor Niall Mc Nelis said Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil need to ensure students are protected in the forthcoming budget.
The Student Cost of Living Guide 2025 shows that students will have to forkout costs of up to €1,600 per month for the forthcoming academic year. Cllr.Mc Nelis said students are not immune from the now permanent cost of living crisis under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
“Students and their families have already been put through the wringer by this Government. Unfortunately, we’re still not clear on the status of student fees following Minister Lawless’ decision not to fight for students.
“This decision really reflects the next step in the commodification of education. Increasing fees will lock many of our young people out of education and the chance of further and higher education. It’s a deep shame.
“We’re at the beginning of what can be the toughest time of year for students and their families when it comes to personal finances, with large deposits often needed for accommodation, contribution fees and other costs.
“The figures published by Switcher show that Dublin is the most expensive place to attend university, with Galway-based students coming in the top 7 expensive Cities. We need to see some focus given to further and higher education by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. There’s too much uncertainty in the system at the moment for not only students and their parents, but for those working in the sector too.
“When it comes to higher education, we need to be ambitious and remove financial barriers to access education. Tackling the now permanent cost of living is one of the many measures this Government must take for students,” he added.
