Basil McCrea MLA has questioned the legality of the Scottish Government’s decision to close a loophole allowing students from Northern Ireland with an Irish passport, to apply fee-free to some Scottish universities.
Mr McCrea said: “I maintain my position, that it is discriminatory and unjust that Scottish universities offer different fees to students from other parts of the UK and Europe. Whether it is lawful or not is another matter.”
“It is not up to the Scottish Parliament to decide on what nationality an individual is, it is up to that individual and protected in EU law. It is also a condition of the Belfast Agreement that someone from Northern Ireland can class themselves as Irish if they so desire. I expect this part of decision to be challenged in the courts also.”
ENDS