Fine Gael's Spokesperson on Higher Education Maeve O'Connell has said she is "disappointed" that Minister for Higher Education James Lawless "is not interested" in bringing to Cabinet a proposal to reduce third-level fees for students.
Mr Lawless, a Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North, told Newstalk radio this morning that he was hopeful of cutting fees in Budget 2027.
However, he said that a levy to support the Department of Education would create challenges.
Last month, Government departments were asked to contribute a levy to provide an additional €646m to the Department of Education due to a deficit.
Minister Lawless said: "It’s too early to say but obviously in this situation at the moment where every other department has to contribute to a levy to support the Department of Education, that places additional challenges for all of our spending plans.
"But I would say it’s far too early six months out from the budget, where exactly that might fall, but it does make for a more challenging situation."
Responding to the comments, Ms O'Connell, a Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown, said his department was potentially in a better position financially than others.
Speaking at Leinster House, she said: "Ministers always have choices as to how they’re going to invest in funds that they have, and the minister also passed the National Training Fund amendment legislation this year, which does give him access to additional funding for his department.
"So he's actually in a better financial position, potentially, than other departments this year and I don't think that's a valid reason to not look at reducing student fees."
Ms O'Connell said the next budget needed to ensure that additional supports were provided for students and their families.
"I'm disappointed that the minister is not interested in bringing to Cabinet any reduction in student fees.
"I think it's a very early stage in the budget process, but I would like to see that that's still on the table at this stage in the budget process, looking at the reduction of student fees, which is part of the Programme for Government over the lifetime of this Government."
The Labour Party's Spokesperson on Education Eoghan Kenny said that it would be "disgraceful" if the Government did not proceed with a cut to fees in October's budget.
The Cork North Central TD said that third-level students should not be esentially asked to make up the deficit in other Government departments.
He added that he would ask Mr Lawless directly about the issue in the Dáil on Thursday.
'Too early to speculate' on budget measures - Lawless
The minister said that Budget 2027 is six months away and it is "too early to speculate" on its contents.
A spokesperson said: "The budget engagement will follow the usual process of the Summer Economic Statement being published in July, setting out the overall envelope available to Government and to each department.
"This will be followed by the usual engagement on the estimates between all ministers with the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure in the approach to the budget which will then be finalised and delivered in October."
The spokesperson said that Mr Lawless "remains steadfast in his determination to deliver across all the commitments in the Programme for Government, including in the area of student supports, grants, thresholds, contribution fees, student assistance fund, mental health and disability supports, apprenticeship funding and many other areas.
"It is the minister's intention to build upon last year’s budget where he delivered a record-high package of student support measures, including the first permanent reduction to student fees in 30 years."
