Return of State exam fees adds pressure on struggling families, says Meath councillor
A Meath councillor and secondary-school teacher has called on the Government to abandon plans to reintroduce State examination fees, warning the move will place further financial strain on families already grappling with rising living costs.
Social Democrats councillor Ronan Moore said the decision to bring back fees for students sitting the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams would add further pressure on households across the county.
Exam fees had been waived in recent years but are set to return, with charges of €116 for the Leaving Certificate and €109 for the Junior Cycle.
However, students who hold a full medical card, or who are covered under a parent or guardian’s full medical card valid between January 1 and April 30, 2026, will be exempt from paying the fees.
Cllr Moore said the move sends the “wrong signal” to families facing increased costs in housing, energy, food and education.
“The decision to bring back fees, with little to no warning, for students sitting the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate sends the wrong signal to families who are already facing rising costs across all aspects of daily life,” he said.
“From soaring rents and mortgages to energy bills, food prices and back-to-school costs, families are already being squeezed from every direction. Reintroducing exam fees at this moment is completely out of touch with the reality many households are living in.”
The Trim councillor said many families are only now becoming aware of the fees despite a deadline to pay by the end of April.
“The waiver of the fees in recent years proved that the State can ensure access to exams without placing additional financial burdens on parents – the sky did not fall in when families were spared this extra cost,” he said.
“While the Government may point to the small print of its recent budget to show it had planned for this, schools and parents are only hearing this news in March with a final deadline to pay by the end of April.”
“That is no way to introduce what will be, for many families, a further tax. Many households affected will also have two siblings sitting the Junior Cycle and Leaving Cert in the same year.”
While exemptions will apply to some students, Mr Moore said many families just above eligibility thresholds would still struggle to cover the additional cost.
“There are already thousands of families who do not qualify for a medical card but are still finding it incredibly difficult to make ends meet. These are the households who will once again be forced to absorb yet another bill as a result of this change,” he said.
Cllr Moore said the reintroduction of the fees risks “undermining the principle that education should be accessible to all students” regardless of financial circumstances.
“No student should feel that sitting their exams comes with a price tag their family can barely afford,” he said.
“The Government must reverse this decision and commit to permanently removing State examination fees.”
“At a time when the Government repeatedly acknowledges the pressure families are under, it makes absolutely no sense to reintroduce this charge. Education should be truly free,” Cllr Moore added.