OTTAWA--Finance Minister Jim Flaherty should take a page from the Government of Ireland's economic strategy by providing funding to reduce tuition fees. The Minister is scheduled to speak to the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto later today.

"Central to the 'Irish Economic Miracle' was the Government of Ireland's decision to invest heavily in education," said Amanda Aziz, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "When Ireland wanted to improve its economy, it not only reduced tuition fees, it eliminated them altogether."

Tuition fees were eliminated in Ireland in 1995. In addition to eliminating university tuition fees, research funding was enhanced and more faculty members were hired. Following the elimination of user fees for higher education, participation among the least well-off socioeconomic group increased to 47 per cent.

"Tuition fees are a flat tax and still the biggest barrier to post-secondary education," said Aziz. "They're also the easiest barrier for governments to address."

In addition to financial backing for provincial tuition fee reductions, students are calling on Minister Flaherty to establish a dedicated transfer payment for post-secondary education as promised by the Conservative Party of Canada during the last federal election. Students are hoping that the Conservative government will use the next federal budget to implement a plan to replace the beleaguered Millennium Scholarship Foundation with a national system of need-based grants.