Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 September 2024
562. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will continue annual funding for the student assistance fund at post-pandemic levels; to ensure eligibility for all students to address the hidden costs associated with education which is a key ask of an organisation (details supplied) in it's pre-Budget 2025 submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37927/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Assistance Fund is managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of my Department. The HEA allocates funding based on the academic year to each of the universities, Institutes of Technology, the Colleges of Education and a number of other higher education bodies. The core allocation for the SAF is €9.1 million per annum and increases were secured for this academic year 2023/24, which brought the fund to over €19M and supports circa 14,000 students.
In advance of Budget 2025, I recently published the annual options paper which set out various possible measures to address matters pertaining to the cost of education. This paper facilitated a public discussion on the various choices available to amend student supports including the Student Assistant Fund. These options will be considered as part of the deliberations around Budget 2025.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Estimates process in ongoing. While I cannot pre-empt the budgetary process, addressing costs for families and learners and supporting disadvantaged students will be a priority for me in the Budget 2025 discussions.
