Parents have expressed their outrage as the Government is to reintroduce exam fees for students who will sit their Junior and Leaving Cert exams in just over nine weeks’ time.
Financially stretched families are being asked to fork out €109 per student to sit the junior exams while a charge of €116 is being demanded for a sitting of the Leaving Cert exams.
A further fee of €301 is charged for any student who has to re-sit the Leaving Cert exams.
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The reintroduction of the fees, which were waived during Covid, sparked outrage yesterday as families say they are already financially stretched because of the cost-of living crisis and the recent fuel price increases and home-heating charges because of the crisis in the Gulf.
Mother-of-four Catherine Walsh, of Templeogue, Dublin, a founding member of the Stay at Home Parents Association, described the Government as ‘mean’ and ‘has absolutely no regard or understanding of the difficulties certain parental income groups are going through’.
She said: ‘This is a badly timed measure in light of the current increases in the cost of living and fuel costs with parents struggling to keep a hold on weekly expenditure.’ The Social Democrats also lashed out at the Government accusing it of badly managing last year’s €12.4billion Budget surplus, an amount on top of the €22billion surplus in 2024.
The party’s education spokeswoman Jen Cummins TD said: ‘The cost of living is causing huge difficulties for people. Families are struggling to pay energy bills, feed their families, one in five children are growing up in poverty and there are 17,300 registered homeless in March.’
‘ She added: ‘The Department of Education has not charged this fee since before Covid. There was no waro ing f this re-introduction.
‘The Department of Education and Youth has a projected overspend but it is not up to hard-pressed parents to make up for ineffective budgeting.’
Sinn Féin education spokesman Darren O’Rourke said the Government was doing everything possible to make life difficult for working families. He added: ‘Families can’t afford another bill coming through the door and very many families in Ireland often have two children undertaking State exams not to mention Transition-year costs.
‘This Government has found money to extend tax breaks and maintain VAT reductions, but they can’t find the money to keep exam fees abolished.’
Green Party education spokesman Cllr Conor Dowling reminded parents of extra costs in September and a return of exam fees was the last thing financially stretched parents want at this time: ‘Now is not the time to increase the cost of education by reintroducing exam fees for families who are struggling with an energy crisis.’
The National Parents Council, is funded by the Department of Education, did not respond for comment. A spokesman for the Department of Education said: ‘As part of Budget 2026, the Government has confirmed that examination entry fees will be reintroduced for the 2026 State exams.
These fees are being restored at their previous levels, unchanged since 2012. ‘Crucially, protections remain in place. Any student with a full medical card, or covered under a parent or guardian’s card, will continue to be fully exempt.’
