Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
390. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost in 2026 of abolishing apprenticeship fees from January 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11047/26]
View answerI am conscious of financial challenges facing learners and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to attending tertiary education. It is a priority for me to explore the most effective and sustainable ways to support learners in managing these costs.
It is important to note that there are no fees for undertaking a national apprenticeship programme. However, a student contribution fee is paid by apprentices when attending Higher Education Institutions, with the fee rate aligned to the student contribution payable by undergraduate student eligible for the free fees initiative. As part of Budget 2026, I announced a permanent reduction in the free fees initiative Student Contribution charge. This flat rate reduction has reduced the rate from €3,000 to €2,500 for undergraduate students eligible for the free fees initiative and, applied on a pro rata basis, has lowered the student contribution by 17% for apprentices attending Higher Education. In regard to apprentices, €2.5 million was allocated for this purpose and, over the 2025/26 academic year, this will benefit approximately 14,000 apprentices.
As part of Budget 2026, it was important for me to make permanent, sustainable interventions which would give families and learners certainty. With this permanent measure I have done that. This is the first time the student contribution has been permanently reduced.
In terms of further adjustments, the potential cost of adjusting the student contribution may vary from year to year. My department published an Options Paper in 2025 where the potential costs of reducing the student contribution for apprentices in a single academic year were set out. In the paper it was estimated that removal of the student contribution payable by apprentices would have cost a total of €15,007,100 (this figure is inclusive of the €2.5 million previously referred to).
In advance of Budget 2027, and as my Department did last year, I will be publishing an options paper which will set out the various possible measures to address the cost of education in a financially sustainable way. I will have regard to the various options considered in the paper in the context of the Estimates process.
