Sorca Clarke: Reintroduced Leaving Cert Fees Hit Families
Sorca Clarke challenges the Tánaiste over the government's decision to reintroduce Leaving Cert and Junior Cert fees, arguing the move comes as families face severe cost-of-living pressure. Clarke asks for a review of the decision and stresses that medical card protections for students remain in place.
Decision and demand for review
Sorca Clarke addressed the Tánaiste to raise concern about the reintroduction of Leaving Cert and Junior Cert fees at a time when households are coping with energy arrears, rising food and fuel costs, and local property tax direct debits. Clarke called the timing tone-deaf and asked the government to review the decision because many families do not have the money to pay these charges.
Impact on households and protections
Clarke described the fees as a tax on learning that will affect working families hardest. She highlighted a parent’s testimony that another bill landing on the doormat is the last thing their household can bear, and insisted that families under pressure cannot simply produce more cash.
Policy context and exemptions
Clarke noted that these fees were last charged in 2019 and that nominal levels have not changed since 2012, but she emphasised that protections for students in need remain. Any student with a full medical card or covered under a parent or guardian's card will continue to be fully exempt, she said.
Questions for Sinn Féin and long-term priorities
Speaking in the Dail, Clarke questioned Sinn Féin’s economic position on whether universal free provision or targeted supports should be the priority. She reiterated her party’s aim for sustainable reductions in core areas such as college fees and childcare while making targeted interventions for those most in need.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Tánaiste, I want to raise with you the decision of government to reintroduce the Leaving Cert and the Junior Cert fees at a time when families are under such immense financial pressure between energy arrears, struggling with the rising costs of food or fuel, and this also being the week when the annual direct debit for the local property tax landed into many people's bank accounts. One parent put it to me that the last thing her family needs is another bill landing through the door and that they cannot simply get blood from a stone. These fees are a tax on learning and they are hitting most working, struggling families and they are hitting them the hardest. At a time when households are at breaking point, Tánaiste, quite frankly this is tone-deaf. Will you please review this decision? Families simply don't have this money. Families who are most in need, the protections remain in place. I do want to say that Deputy Clerk, any student with a full medical card, anybody covered under their parents or guardians card will continue to be fully exempt. I get confused sometimes as to the Sinn Féin economic position. Is it everything must be free or is that we should target supports of those most in need? Because if it's that we should target supports most in need, well then, don't toot toot on me please, if it's we should target supports of those most in need and that's it, if it's your position that every cost-of-living measure that was in place pre-Covid should remain in place post-Covid, well then that's a very different sort of Ireland. We made it very clear we were moving to sustainable permanent reductions in core areas. The permanent reduction in college fees, permanent progress we want to make on childcare and making targeted interventions here as well. These fees were last charged in 2019, they'll be at the same level that they were since 2012, which means in real terms they'll be a lot less, but crucially protections for students in need financially through that medical card system, which are being fully exempt, remain in place. you
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
