THE GOVERNMENT yesterday promised that the new programme for government would be costed in the context of the budget on December 9th.
Green Party leader John Gormley, speaking during the Lisbon Treaty debate on September 30th, said it would not be possible to have a programme for government that was not costed. “This has to be costed and it will be,” he said.
However, the costs associated with the programme agreed between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have not been released publicly, though both parties maintained that costs were fully discussed during the negotiations which lasted 70 hours over eight days.
“They have reached political agreement to do certain things and to prioritise certain things,” said a spokesman for the Green Party.
He said that the costings of the programme would form part of the budgetary process and would inform the process.
The spokesman also insisted that increased college registration charges will not be a substitute form of revenue-raising after third-level college fees.
“Registration fees will not be a vehicle for fees by the back door.
“I’m saying that emphatically and on the record,” the spokesman said.
A decision not to proceed with third-level fees was taken in the talks between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party last week on a renewed programme.
The Green Party spokesman said registration charges “may vary” but they “will not be tantamount to fees”.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe, who has said he remains in favour of third-level fees, was asked on Monday if the maximum €1,500 registration charge would rise.
“We can’t put it up. If the institutes and colleges are not providing the service amounting to €1,500 per student, then they won’t go up. If they are costing above that and if they can prove that the services are above that, than obviously that is a consideration we’ll take into account,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
A spokesman for the Minister said last night registration charges covered student services and were set annually on a consultative basis between the colleges, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education.
He said a limit of €1,500 for this academic year had already been set.
The revised programme was officially supported by the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party at a meeting last night.
“The revised programme for government was unanimously endorsed at tonight’s meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party at Leinster House,” a statement released afterwards said.