Written Answers Nos. 901-920
901. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of places for dental nurses students in Irish universities for each of the past four years; and how many of these are used for international students. [24891/24]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy was sourced from the Higher Education Authority Student Records System. The table below outlines the total number of students enrolled on Dental Nursing programmes in Irish Higher Education Institutions.
The recorded domicile for all students in the Level 7 Diploma programmes is Ireland.
Regarding the level 6 Higher Certificate programmes, the domicile of Great Britain is less than 5 students, or less than 3%, and non EU domicile is also less than 5 students or less than 3%.
Please note for data protection reasons data regarding students amounting to less than 5 is rounded to zero by the HEA.
|
2019/2020 |
2020/2021 |
2021/2022 |
2022/2023 |
|
|
Level 7 Diploma in Dental Nursing |
81 |
86 |
97 |
100 |
|
Level 6 Higher Certificate in Dental Nursing |
96 |
79 |
85 |
80 |
|
177 |
165 |
182 |
180 |
902. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether it is appropriate for SUSI to seek to recoup an overpayment to an individual (details supplied) who was given incorrect information by the SUSI helpline and is now facing having to drop out of college due to the reduction of their grant and the aforementioned attempt to recoup the overpayment; and if he will examine the situation to see if any accommodation can be made, given the mistake on the part of SUSI. [24970/24]
View answerUnder section 24 of the Student Support Act 2011, a person is liable to repay to the awarding authority money that the person is not entitled to receive. Where overpayments do arise, SUSI has a formal Overpayments Policy and implements a structured process of debt management to seek their recovery.
Regarding the specific query raised by the Deputy, SUSI have advised that while the Applicant did contact the helpline this was in relation to their 2023/2024 application and not the academic year where the overpayment occurred.
I would encourage the applicant in question to contact the Access Office of the institution they attend to consider what additional supports may be available to them such as the Student Assistance Fund which can help discharge costs such as rent, transport and course materials. The HEA website www.studentfinance.ie also provides details of other bursaries or scholarships that may be of benefit to the applicant.
903. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of the €250,000 allocated to publicly-funded higher education institutions, that aim to deliver free and sustainable period products for students, by institution, in tabular form. [24975/24]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for his question.
The breakdown of the funding is being finalised by the Higher Education Authority and it is expected shortly. I have asked officials in my Department to forward the breakdown to the Deputy when it is available.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
904. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will take the necessary steps to ensure that those undertaking apprenticeships at this time do not experience lengthy delays in their qualification process (details supplied). [24992/24]
View answerThe time it takes to complete a craft apprenticeship is 48 months or 4 years. The average apprenticeship completion time is based on progression through off-the-job training phases with training capacity and does not reflect delays due to deferring training, assessment delays or other individual circumstances.
Currently, out of 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, four are on average completing Phase 6 training in over 48 months, with two completing significantly over the 48 months average. These are Electrical Instrumentation at 59 months, Pipefitting at 58 months, Instrumentation at 51 months and Farriery at 51 months.
Investment into apprenticeship capacity is a priority for me and my department. During Estimates 2024, €67 million was allocated to grow the apprenticeship system. €30 million was reallocated on a temporary basis from wider Further Education and Training (FET) budgets, bringing total funding in 2024 to approximately €298 million, up from approximately €272 million in 2023.Capital funding has also been provided to increase craft capacity. In the immediate pandemic period, €12m was allocated to support additional classes and teaching capacity to ameliorate Covid-19 measures and €6m was invested to provide additional instructor posts.
Further sums of €20m (in 2021), €17.2m (in 2022) and €17m (in 2023) in capital expenditure were allocated to SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to facilitate additional craft apprenticeship places.
A plan was developed in July 2023 to significantly reduce craft training delays by SOLAS/the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) and agreed with then Minister Simon Harris in November 2023. The plan aims to increase craft delivery capacity significantly in 2024.
Since the implementation of the plan, there has been a sustained reduction in the number of apprentices waiting longer than 6 months at Phase 2 for their off-the-job training, which has decreased from 6,166 in July 2023 to 3,071 in May 2024.
As part of the plan, the NAO has put a renewed focus on speeding up delivery of 2 of the 25 craft programmes - Electrical Instrumentation at 59 months and Pipefitting at 58 months.
Significant resources are being invested to further increase the capacity of the apprenticeship training system.
Education and Training Boards (ETBs) have been mandated by SOLAS to commence three apprenticeship intakes per workshop per year to support the delivery of the NAO plan.
Additionally, a recruitment campaign to engage craft instructors was launched by SOLAS and the NAO from November 2023, involving national advertising and recruiting. Its aim is to support delivery and increased capacity at Phase 2 in further education.
The NAO allocated €149,000 to a recruitment advertising budget, which was focused on social media, radio and digital audio and video.
To date, 134 instructor posts have been sanctioned by the Department, of which 77 have been advertised, and 58 posts have been filled. Additionally, 80+ instructor posts were converted from fixed term to permanent. Further posts will be advertised as capital projects come on stream across the rest of 2024 and into Quarter 1 2025.
As a direct result of these actions, apprenticeship delivery capacity in ETBs has grown substantially from 5,613 in 2023 to 7,545 in April 2024, a 34% increase.It is my priority to maintain momentum, continue growing the apprenticeship system and ensure that there are enough training places for current and future skills needs.
905. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number and total value of contracts his Department has had over the past 12 months with a company (details supplied). [25094/24]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that there have been 2 contracts with a total value of €54,045.13 in the past 12 months (June 2023 to May 2024, inclusive) for the company identified in the query.
906. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has visited Maynooth University since his appointment as Minister; and if so, the purpose of the visit. [25095/24]
View answerI have not visited Maynooth University since my appointment as Minister. However, I intend to visit a number of higher education institutions in the coming weeks.
907. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of apprentice plasters, bricklayers and plumbers recorded within the State in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [25096/24]
View answerThe below tables set out the requested information for each of the relevant apprenticeship programmes - Brick & Stonelaying, Plastering and Plumbing - for 2023 and up to the end of May 2024.
Table 1 deals with registration, i.e. persons who have signed up for the programme in the given year, and population, i.e. persons in the process of completing the programme.
Table 2 sets out the number of persons who have completed all seven stages of the particular programme and who have all practical and academic work validated. This process can take up to 3 months after phase 7 has been completed.
908. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider expediting a review of the SOLAS statutory apprenticeship which requires that certain apprenticeships applicants must pass the Ishihara colour vision test without the use of corrective lenses, particularly considering the most recent technological advances that have been made in such lenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25139/24]
View answerSOLAS regularly review the requirements for existing apprenticeship programmes through the Programme Advisory Board (PAB), and the matter of colour vision testing is kept under review as part of the PAB process.
To that end, SOLAS sought out specialist organisations to carry out a review of the requirement for the use of Ishihara Colour Vision test for various apprenticeship programmes, benchmarking the requirement for colour vision testing against other EU countries and organisations.
In March 2024, Interactions Research were procured to carry out this review and provided a preliminary report for June 2024. SOLAS is reviewing this report and in the process of reverting to the provider with a number of queries for clarification and expansion, and details of the report will be available following this process.
909. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to provide the breakdown of the number of veterinary places available in each university, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25181/24]
View answerCurrently there is only one undergraduate programme for Veterinary Medicine which is in University College Dublin, the annual intake of new entrants is 80 students per year.
I would note that my Department does not place a quota on the number of places on veterinary medicine courses offered by higher education institutions. That is a matter for individual HEIs in line with their autonomy and capacity.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) ran an expression of interest process to expand provision in a number of disciplines, including Veterinary Medicine. The options identified have the potential to transform the numbers of students who would be able to take up places on Veterinary Medicine programmes.
Expansion of the existing programme, or establishing new programmes would require substantial capital investment. Engagements are ongoing as to how these capital costs could be met, and I am working closely with my colleague Minister McConologue to establish next steps in this process.
I am continuing to work with the HEA and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on progressing this matter.
910. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of planners that have graduated from Irish Universities in each of the past 10 years, in tabular form; and if the Minister knows where these planners are working, in Ireland or abroad, in private practice or with local or central government. [25285/24]
View answerPlanning is a regulated profession under the terms of Directive 2005/36 and the regulator in Ireland is the Irish Planning Institute (IPI). Five programmes are accredited by this regulator in Irish universities.
The data attached was sourced from the Student Records System database of the Higher Education Authority. Student numbers are rounded to the nearest five for data protection purposes.
The information the Deputy has requested regarding where planners are employed after graduating is not available to my Department. Some data pertaining to post graduation employment can be accessed from the Graduate Outcomes survey conducted by the HEA and is available here: Graduate Outcomes: Data & Reports | Statistics | Higher Education Authority (hea.ie)
As per the most recent graduate outcomes survey, 90.4% of respondents who graduated from the Architecture & Town Planning course categorisation code were employed in Ireland. There is no way of distinguishing between those in private or public practice.
911. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he plans to review the current SUSI grant system, in particular with regard to assisting mature students, some of whom because of the housing crisis are still forced to live in their parents’ home and are therefore not entitled to receive grants to pursue their chosen course of study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25329/24]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the objective of the statutory based student grant scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold or, in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant.For student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents/ legal guardian or as independent mature students.A candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the student grant means test is gross income from all sources and the gross income of his/her parents or guardians, where applicable, with certain specified Department of Social Protection Payments being exempt. Grant assistance may not be awarded in any case where the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed income limits for the award of a grant.A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he or she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous October. Otherwise he or she would continue to be assessed on the basis of parental income.In the scenario referenced by the Deputy, given that the student, albeit a mature student, is ordinarily resident with their parents, they would be assessed on the basis of parental income.
In advance of Budget 2025 this autumn, I will be publishing an options paper which will set out various possible measures to address the cost of education. I am doing this in order to facilitate public discussion on the choices available to improve student supports. I will have regard to the issue raised by the Deputy when making proposals in the context of budget discussions.
The Deputy will appreciate that the funding allocation for the Student Grant Scheme is determined in the context of the overall estimates and budgetary process undertaken by all Government Departments. All proposals made in relation to SUSI grant expenditure can only be considered in the context of the budgetary allocation, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.
912. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports, in terms of grant assistance and subsidisation of fees, that are in place for Irish students who attend universities in other EU Member States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25357/24]
View answerUnder the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. In relation to support available for students studying abroad, the Student Grant Scheme provides maintenance grants to eligible undergraduate students pursuing approved courses in other EU Member States. In general, an approved undergraduate course in this context is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration pursued in a university or third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in another EU Member State or the UK.The student grant scheme does not and never has extended to the payment of tuition fees to institutions outside the State, other than for exceptional provision in respect of postgraduate courses in Northern Ireland. The Scheme also does not extend to PLC courses pursued outside of the State or postgraduate study pursued outside of Ireland. The Deputy may wish to note that tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax office or from the Revenue Commissioners website www.revenue.ie.
913. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he proposes to apply the scheme available to students attending university in Northern Ireland, whereby they contribute a rate equivalent to the student contribution applicable at higher education institutions in the State while his Department pays the remainder, to those students attending universities outside of the island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25358/24]
View answerThe arrangement the Deputy refers to is with Queens University Belfast and has been designed to create additional capacity on the island to train doctors. It sees the creation of fifty medical places, twenty five commencing in September 2024 and a further 25 in September 2025. The expansion of medical provision in higher education is a key priority for my Department and the Department of Health.
Under this agreement students who opt to apply for one of these places will pay the same student contribution rate as their counterparts studying in medical schools in Ireland. They will also commit to taking up a position in the HSE as an intern on their successful completion of the programme. This scheme is only available to applicants who are deemed to be eligible for the Northern Ireland and Ireland domiciled fee rate for 2024/25 entry and this must be their first programme of study at third level.
My Department and the Department of Health are exploring further options for expanding provision of acute skills shortages in healthcare programmes on the island of Ireland. We will continue to engage with our counterparts in Northern Ireland to explore options for expansion on healthcare programmes.
914. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the actions his Department is taking to increase the number of Irish speakers going into the workforce from third-level, in alignment with the government's target of having 20% of public sector employees fluent in Irish by 2030. [25374/24]
View answerReflecting the importance of the Irish language in the higher education system, the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 includes in the objects of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) the responsibility of ensuring that higher education institutions support the promotion and use of the Irish language. It should however by noted that higher education institutions (HEIs) are autonomous in their Irish language strategy, including the provision and expansion of university courses through the Irish language. The Department provides funding through the HEA, which distributes it to HEIs as block grants, allowing institutions to allocate resources to Irish-language initiatives as needed. The HEA has provided an earmarked allocation of €1.8m per annum to University of Galway for Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge for the last number of years. In addition, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media have committed funding for Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta. The Advanced Irish Language Skills Initiative is an initiative of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media as a response to an identified need to increase the numbers of graduates with skills in specific areas in the context of the Official Languages Act 2003 and Irish becoming an official and working language of the EU. It supports a range of specialised third level Irish language courses in areas such as translation, interpretation and law, with 8 courses available in 5 different institutions. There is also a broad range of courses available in Irish in higher education institutions, with student returns statistics showing 98 courses available in Irish. The Higher Education Authority funds the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative, ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ which is run in conjunction with the Union of Students of Ireland. It offers Irish language clubs and societies with skills and mentorship in developing the use of the language within Higher Education.Overall, the Department is actively supporting the promotion of the Irish language through various initiatives and legislative measures. The implementation of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 will further drive demand for Irish language skills in the public sector, aligning with the government's target for 2030.
915. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the collaborations in place, if any, between third-level institutions and secondary schools to aid the transition of students moving from Irish speaking schools, particularly students from Gaeltacht areas, to third-level studies. [25376/24]
View answerMy Department is not directly involved in collaborations between individual post-primary schools and third-level institutions regarding the transition of students to further or higher education. However, to support the policy on Irish-medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht, my officials participate in the Steering Committee run by the Department of Education. This committee focuses on promoting Irish-medium education and may provide valuable insights into the support structures available for students transitioning from Gaeltacht areas to higher education.
Section 9(c) of the Education Act (1998) mandates that schools use their available resources to “ensure that students have access to appropriate guidance to assist them in their educational and career choices.” Guidance in schools encompasses educational, career, personal, and social guidance delivered within a whole-school context, including the role of all teachers and the specialised role of the guidance counsellor. The provision of guidance in the post-primary sector involves planning and delivering a range of learning experiences in a developmental sequence to help students develop self-management skills, leading to effective life choices and decisions, including progression to further or higher education.
Each school's Whole School Guidance (WSG) programme includes a range of learning and support activities tailored to meet the guidance needs of the school community. This programme may consider the particular context and experiences of students in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools. The guidance programme often includes activities that provide students with information and knowledge about third-level institutions. It may focus on transitions, offering students multiple opportunities to explore, experience, and ask questions about personal, social, educational, and career decisions they may encounter.
Regarding third-level education, each Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Ireland, as an autonomous body, is responsible for its own Irish language strategy, including the expansion and teaching of university courses through the Irish language. My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which in turn disburses this funding as a block grant to designated HEIs. The allocation of this funding, including any expenditure on Irish-language education initiatives, is managed by the individual HEIs.
My Department is committed to implementing the Official Languages Act and providing Irish-language services. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 is crucial to Ireland and the life of the language in the country. Under Object 8 (b) of the HEA Act 2022, the HEA sponsors the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative, ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’, in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland.
‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ refers to a person actively engaged in using and promoting the Irish language. This initiative is an Irish language mentoring programme open to all students in HEIs. Its objectives include building on the development of Irish Language Societies and Officers, developing ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ Awards at third level, awarding a ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ Certificate for active students, and establishing a training, personal development, and mentoring scheme for ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’.
The initiative aims to achieve its goals by providing Irish language clubs and societies with skills and mentorship, offering training workshops to equip students and officers with additional skills (such as social media, graphic design, sponsorship, guest speakers, public speaking, and press releases) and delivering a certification and awards system to enhance student and society participation in Irish language activities within HEIs.
Ultimately, it is important to note that HEIs are autonomous and independently determine which Irish-language courses they offer. While DFHERIS remains committed to implementing the Official Languages Act, it does not have the authority to direct HEIs on their course offerings. For detailed and specific information on collaborations, individual HEIs would need to be approached directly.
916. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a schedule of all contracts they have and/or had with a company in the past 25 years to date (details supplied); the agreed contract cost; the ultimate contract cost including extras, design changes, conciliation, claims etc; project name/title; and the name of the body responsible for the delivery of projects where responsibility has been devolved. [25476/24]
View answerMy Department has not awarded any publicly funded contracts to the company referenced by the Deputy at any time since the creation of the Department in 2020.
917. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an update on appointments (details supplied). [25529/24]
View answerThe role of Government Chief Science Advisor was most recently advertised by the Public Appointments Service (PAS), with a closing date for receipt of applications of 16 May 2024. The PAS process is ongoing, and a candidate will be selected and appointed in due course.
Reflecting international good practice, my Department has been working towards establishing the national Research and Innovation Advisory Forum, which will provide an agreed structure for engagement between members of the research and innovation community and policy makers. Membership will comprise public research representative organisations, industry and community representatives, as well as international experts. An Expression of Interest process for the Advisory Forum has concluded and officials are considering the applications received. The process was an open one and available to all interested parties and it is hoped to appoint the members of the Forum later this year.
My Department is systematically working to enhance long-term connections between policymakers across all Government Departments and the public research system. The first step of this has been the creation of a dedicated Evidence for Policy function within the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The next will be the appointment of the Government Chief Science Advisor. The structure and membership of the Research and Innovation Advisory Forum will then be agreed.
The development of new science advice structures across Government and the establishment of strong advisory, governance and oversight structures to implement Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy is a priority for my Department, and this work is ongoing.
918. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his department has been made aware of any Palestinian students who have been evacuated from Gaza by the Department of Foreign Affairs and wish to continue their education in Higher Education Institutions in the Republic of Ireland; and what steps has he taken to support such students to enrol in third-level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25566/24]
View answerI am advised that the Department of Foreign Affairs is very limited in the assistance that it can provide to individuals in Gaza who are not Irish citizens or immediate dependents accompanying Irish citizens. The decision to permit or refuse exit from Gaza is made by the relevant authorities on the ground. In this context, the Department of Foreign Affairs was able to assist a small number of student visa holders to request the necessary clearance to exit Gaza as they travelled to Ireland to take-up or continue their studies.
While there is no specific programme for those fleeing the conflict in Gaza, the International Protection Student (IPS) Scheme was introduced in 2015. It is targeted at three particular groups of students (asylum applicants, subsidiary protection applications and leave to remain applicants) although they must have been in Ireland for a period of three years before they can access the scheme.
Notwithstanding this, a number of Irish Universities are responding to requests from Palestinians fleeing the conflict, as part of the Scholars at Risk programme, in addition to specific institutional responses.
919. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what support will his department provide Irish-Palestinian third-level students that have been evacuated from Gaza and are seeking to continue their education in Ireland given they might not satisfy the residency requirement for the ‘free-fees initiative’ which also applies for the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25567/24]
View answerTo avail of funding under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) or the Student Grant Scheme, students must meet the criteria of the respective schemes including the residency and nationality criteria.
In terms of residency, a student must be ordinarily resident in Ireland or the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or the UK for at least three of the five years before embarking on an approved third level course. All students, including Irish Nationals or persons granted International Protection are required to meet the residency criteria of the respective schemes.
To qualify for free fees funding or a student grant, the student’s nationality or their immigration status in the State determines whether or not they meet the nationality requirements. To meet the nationality requirements of the aforementioned schemes, a student must hold either EU/EEA/Swiss/UK nationality or certain permissions to reside in the State granted by the Department of Justice.
The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Foreign Affairs was able to assist a small number of student visa holders to request the necessary clearance to exit Gaza as they travelled to Ireland to take-up or continue their studies. The Department of Foreign Affairs is very limited in the assistance that it can provide to individuals in Gaza who are not Irish citizens or immediate dependents accompanying Irish citizens.
While there is no specific programme for those fleeing the conflict in Gaza, my Department does operate the International Protection Student Scheme (IPSS). The IPSS is targeted at three particular groups of students (asylum applicants, subsidiary protection applications and leave to remain applicants) who also meet the residency requirements.
Notwithstanding the above, a number of Irish Universities are responding to requests from Palestinians fleeing the conflict, as part of the Scholars at Risk programme, in addition to specific institutional responses.
920. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what state supports are provided for Ukrainian students, and how such supports compare to those offered to those fleeing other conflict zones, seeking refuge in Ireland, and are wishing to continue their education in Ireland and; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25568/24]
View answerCurrently, my department provides a range of measures to help Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) access further and higher education in Ireland.
The Temporary Tuition Fee Support Scheme provides EU tuition fee funding for eligible students attending a full-time approved course in a publicly funded higher education institution (HEI). The scheme is aimed at eligible first-time students and students seeking to progress to a higher level of study up to post-graduate level. The applicable EU tuition fee is paid directly to the HEI where the eligible student is registered.
These students are also entitled to a financial stipend of €1,150 per month, which is paid directly to the student via the Erasmus national grant.
Separately, the PLC Bursary for Displaced Persons (Ukraine) Scheme is aimed at BOTPs who would like to participate in a SOLAS-approved full-time post leaving certificate (PLC) course in their local Education and Training Board. The scheme is administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) on behalf of the Department and sees students receive financial support in the form of a bursary of €6,115, which is paid in monthly instalments in the academic year. The bursary is open to students starting year one of an approved PLC course or progressing into the second year of an approved two year course.
The International Protection Student (IPS) Scheme was introduced in 2015. It is targeted at three particular groups of students (asylum applicants, subsidiary protection applications and leave to remain applicants) who;
1. have been in the protection system or at the leave to remain (but not deportation order) stage for at least three years;
2. have been resident in Ireland for three years, and,
3. are pursuing an approved post-leaving certificate, undergraduate or postgraduate course.
Such students cannot access the Student Grant Scheme as they do not have leave to remain in the State and therefore do not fulfil the nationality requirements.
The IPS Scheme largely mirrors the Student Grant Scheme, and the 2024 edition is currently being finalised.
