Leaving Cert and Junior Cert fees return 'when people are being hammered' - Laois Senator

Leaving and Junior Cert exam fee letters are returning to Laois letterboxes and a Laois Senator is calling for them to be abolished once and for all.

"The last thing parents need is another bill landing in their door," Sinn Féin Senator Maria McCormack has stated.

She asks the Government to reverse its decision to reinstate the exam fees for Junior and Leaving Certificate students, as households struggle with the cost-of-living pressure.

The Laois Senator says that parents started receiving letters requesting payment of the secondary school exam fees over the last forty-eight hours.

"They are being asked to pay €109 per Junior Cert student and €116 per Leaving Cert student.

"Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael chose to reinstate these exam fees in October's budget, fully aware of the pressure on working households due to rising prices and big bills. 

"These letters are landing at a time when people are being hammered by rapid increases in fuel costs.

"Families are struggling to fill their cars and heat their homes, they're watching every euro, and now the Government comes to squeeze them even more.

"It demonstrates again that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are completely out of touch with the pressure people are under, and clueless about the daily miracles parents perform to stretch the household budget and keep the show on the road.

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"The Government easily finds the money to gift generous tax breaks to big developers and corporate landlords.  So, they should be able to find the money needed to abolish state exam fees.

"I am calling on the Minister to reverse this decision immediately, scrap state exam fees, and give families a break," Sen McCormack said.