Jack Leahy
Deputy News Editor
That’s it for the live blog, thanks for following!
15:17 Gardaí have been called to the Ranelagh office of Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy, where eight members of FEE UCD have been staging an occupation.
15:05 A central body will be created to administer student grants, which will be cut by up to €12m next year.
14:58 17%/€8.604bn on education in 2012. Solas to be maintained. STUDENT CONTRIBUTION TO INCREASE BY €250, POSTGRAD GRANT SCRAPPED.
14:55 ‘We have a duty to protect our most vulnerable’ – No change in child benefit payment.
14:50 Public sector worker numbers to fall by 37,500.
14:48 ”In the education sector, demographic pressures mean that we need more teachers and classrooms to accommodate more children. This is unavoidable.”
14:42 ‘Government spending must fall until 2015’ – Howlin
14:38 Expenditure cuts ready to go. Brendan Howlin, Minister for Public Expenditure, addressing the Dáil.
14:35 With speeches set to begin, FEE release a statement regarding their occupation of Eoghan Murphy’s constituency office.
14:32 The Fine Gael Press Office tells this reporter that they were ‘uaware’ that Eoghan Murphy’s office had been occupied.
14:26 And now fee have blocked the door of Eoghan Murphy’s constituency office.
14:20 UT’s News Editor Leanna Byrne confirms that the eight people occupying Eoghan Murphy’s office are members of the UCD branch of FEE. The office workers have refused to leave.
14:14 Free Education for Everyone (FEE) has just occupied the offices of Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy in Ranelagh.
14:12 The head of RTÉ’S investigative unit Philip Boucher-Hayes suggests that the budget will, as expected, signal the scrapping of maintenance grants for postgraduate students.
14:10 Gardaí have left the scene of #occupynaas, with no arrests made and the protest ongoing.
14:06 Off the subject of education for a second, news is circulating that there will be no change to the main social welfare expenditures and no increase in prescription charges and no annual fee for the medical card.
13:57 Brian Dowling tells RTÉ that up to €130m worth of cuts will be made in the education sector. That includes primary, secondary, third-level, and postgrad education.
13:51 Today’s Evening Herald reckons it has the scoop already!
13:46 Ruaidhrí Boland of NUI Maynooth SU, part of the group occupying the office of Fine Gael TD Anthony Lawlor, has reported that Gardaí have arrived at the scene of the occupation.
13:42 TV3 have reportedly invited the leaders of the opposition to repsond to Enda Kenny’s State of the Nation address on Wednesday’s episode of Tonight with Vincent Browne. They would each get 3 minutes to speak before engaging in a post-budget debate.
13:39 Wowza, things change quickly. RTÉ are now reporting that the €250 increase will be a once-off.
13:30 Good afternoon! So, the first item of news that I have for you is that RTÉ have reported that the Student Contribution Charge is likely to rise by €250, not €500. This would see the contribution reach €2250. But hold your horses, because nothing is certain until the announcement is made at 16:30. USI President Gary Redmond tells us on Twitter that the charge will increase by €250 for the next four years.
