Reintroduction of third level college fees

Does anyone have any opinions on how likely this is in the near future? Also, assuming that if they come back in they would only be applicable for students who have yet to begin a course, i.e. you wouldn't be told after doing 2 of 4 years that unless you pay €3k you cannot come back, what would the general consensus be for those who may have deferred a place from the previous, non - fee paying year? Would they be liable for fees or because the place was granted and accepted as 'free' would this hold?
Basically my brother is getting his LC results on wednesday and is expressing an interest in taking a year out to work. I think this would be great for him, wish I had done it myself, but my mother is worried that fees will come in for next year and a year out could cost €3k X 4 years.

Anyone got any opinions or inside info on this?

There are no plans to eliminate the free fees initiative at third level - you can relax.

One (little known) stipulation for getting the free fees is that the individual must be resident in an EU member state for 3 of the past 5 years. If he travels abroad and is out of the country for over 2 years he would not get the fees paid..... As you can imagine this only effects exceptionally few people, but it's worth keeping in mind, just in case...

thanks delboy

He'd be working in Ireland if he takes the year out. He's not convinced he's passed his hons maths so has been looking into the potential of working for the year while he repeats it and I think the idea of a year out making some money is growing on him.
There had been mumbles in the media about Ireland maybe copying Britain with the reintro of the fees but I know at least the current minister is against it. My Dad has no probs with it one way or another, brother is the baby by a long way and they didn't end up paying fees for the rest of us so they could afford it easily enough, but mothers have a special way of worrying, mine more than most! I was just hoping to get a few responses to set her mind at ease. I think even if they did it would be unfair to penalise someone who could have done a course the year before for free. Have a feeling that deferrals would possibly be exempt too (I'd like to think so anyway).

Trish2006 - can LC students retake just one exam if they fail? I thought that they had to resit the whole lot again? Maybe I am wrong - does anyone know what the situation is? If this is the case will your brother be able to work all year?

You can resit the one subject (or more if necessary) and then combine the results of the two years for points afaik.

Lauren said:

You can resit the one subject (or more if necessary) and then combine the results of the two years for points afaik.

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I understand that you can resit a subject in order to meet the course entry requirements (e.g. a B in honours maths to get into engineering) but you will not be able to add on the extra points gained from this better grade to your points from the previous year. That is, you would be using the points gained from your maths grade the first time you sat it, but not the second time.

If you don't get enough points the first time around, you would have to resit all six / seven exams.

Lauren said:

You can resit the one subject (or more if necessary) and then combine the results of the two years for points afaik.

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I don't think this is correct Lauren. You can only use the points from one sitting of the Leaving. You can use seperate sittings for individual entry requirements though. E.g. Higher Level Maths.

Yeah, if he gets the points for his course without including the maths then all he has to do is repeat the maths for the min requirement. And if he has only one subject to repeat then he has no excuse for failing again. Points can only be taken from one sitting, whichever sitting you want if you've done a few, but min requirements can be from any year. This is to prevent someone doing, say, 2 subjects a year over 3 years. If you've only 2 to study for you're bound to do far better in each and thereby getting whatever points you need. This would be unfair on those who don't have the oppportunity to do the LC over 3 years.
Anyway, he may pass... find out tomorrow!

Trish2006 said:

Yeah, if he gets the points for his course without including the maths then all he has to do is repeat the maths for the min requirement....

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The only flaw in that plan is the points requirement for whatever he wants to do could go up in the meantime ! However if he gets a place he can accept it and defer it for a year with most of the third level institutions. They usually just require a notification in writing. In which case they will make a place for him in the following academic year.

yeah, always a risk but I don't think he knows what he wants to do anyway which is why I think a year out would be a good idea, help him focus a bit. We grew up with the real 'get a good permanent pensionable career' ethos. If I'd taken a year out (and should have cos I was only 16 doing LC) I guarantee I wouldn't be doing what I do now (and have no particular love for).

I don't see any realistic possibility of fees being reintroduced by the current Govt. I'd be more worried about the possibility of the young man getting a taste for steady money and being reluctant to go back to the life of an impovrished student.

All irrelevant anyway, he failed the maths and is starting work next week. I wouldn't worry about him not going to college, he's a smart enough balanced guy and he know what he needs to so to get ahead. He also wants to work in IT so he needs some qualification for that. He'd also be the first in the family not to go and he won't be allowed to do anything silly - as I said earlier he's the baby by a long way and he'll be talked round.
One of his best mates also failed and they had applied for the same course, got the points (for this year anyway, haven't changed from last year), just not the maths so they've already planned to study together for next year so that should help on a motivational level.

Thanks for all the replies.