Galway TD vows to fight “tooth and nail” against student fee increases
Sinn Féin TD for East Galway Louis O'Hara
By Ronan Barrett
Sinn Féin’s Louis O’Hara has condemned a potential €500 increase in student contribution fees and has committed to prioritising education and housing in Budget 2026 negotiations.
As the budget draws closer, the reversal of the €1,000 reduction in third-level fees introduced in 2025 means students and their families may have to face an increase of up to €500 in student contributions.
Speaking to Galway Pulse, the Galway East TD said he feels the current government needs to “change course” amid growing uncertainty about the potential rise in student fees.
“The reality is it’s going to be really difficult for students and their families to be able to deal with an increase”, said Mr O’Hara when asked about the current financial struggles students are already facing.
He accused Fine Gael of breaking their previous general election pledges, stating they “had commitments to reducing student fees, but they’re increasing them”.
“Students paid €2,000 last year and this year they’re going to be paying €2,500.”
Mr O’Hara has made his stance clear, insisting he and Sinn Féin will be looking to address this issue before Budget 2026 is unveiled.
“We’re going to be fighting this tooth and nail over the next couple of weeks to get the government to change course and recognise the pressure that students and families are under”, said Mr O’Hara.
According to a 2025 report from the University of Galway Student’s Union, 78% of students admitted they struggled to find accommodation.
The current housing and cost-of-living crises are among other issues Mr O’Hara believes need to be addressed.
“It’s very difficult to secure a house to rent. We need to see much greater investment in public provision of housing to get costs down,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we have a government that’s out of touch with the reality of the impact of increased costs are having on people at the moment.”
When it comes to addressing the housing crisis in this year’s budget, Mr O’Hara feels the likelihood of a cost-of-living package remains low, but insists he and Sinn Féin will challenge the government on this.
“The statements from the government over the last number of weeks and months is that there is going to be no cost-of-living package in the budget this year,” said Mr O’Hara
“Sinn Féin will be putting forward our alternative budget and setting out how we think things should be done, how the budget should be formulated, and that will include a comprehensive cost of living package.”
Mr O’Hara remains positive that despite the various financial issues gripping the country at present, this budget can be the catalyst for a meaningful change for the people of Ireland.
“We are in a good position financially, which makes it difficult to understand the soundings that are coming from the government in recent days and weeks.”
“There may be investment provided to improve the quality of life of people in the State, but we’ll wait and see what happens.”
The Budget is set to be announced next Tuesday, October 7.
