No measures to ease the financial pressure on third level students were announced today, despite Budget 2025 being described as the ‘biggest giveaway Budget since the Celtic Tiger,’ says the Union of Students in Ireland.
Students will be no better off in 2025 as a result of this Budget, with no further reductions to the Student Contribution Charge and no real announcement on student accommodation.
The repeat of the €1,000 reduction in the Student Contribution Charge is again only a once-off measure as part of the overall cost-of-living package.
USI had called for a €1,500 reduction now and the introduction of a plan to abolish fees over the next few years.
The only measure that will help some students is the increase in the renters’ tax relief, but it is a drop in the ocean compared to the overall cost of student accommodation currently.
USI President, Chris Clifford said: “In their speeches today, both Ministers Chambers and Donohoe talked about the importance of education and young people in our society, and yet they did nothing for third-level students. They seem to think that support for education should stop at secondary school. They talked about wanting to make Ireland the best place in the world to be a child, but between the cost of going to college, the lack of student accommodation and no mention of specific supports for students, it seems like they want to hand young people a plane ticket along with their Leaving Cert. results.
“While we welcome the repeat of the €1,000 Student Contribution Charge and the 33 per cent reduction in apprenticeship fees, and the slight increase in the minimum wage, there has been no move that will fundamentally do anything to relieve the huge burden students currently face. After this so-called ‘giveaway’ Budget, students will be no better off next year than they are now.”
USI’s costed pre-budget submission, which set out the significant and increasing costs incurred by students across Ireland, was sent to every TD ahead of Budget 2025 and is available here.
In the submission, USI said the Government has the chance to shape the future of this generation of students, but this opportunity was ignored today.
USI’s three main pre-budget asks were:
- Fund the building of the 30,000-bed shortfall in student accommodation
- Reduce fees by €1,500 now and introduce a plan to abolish fees over the next few years
- Free public transport for all students