I regret that I am unable to comment on any engagement in November 2024 given that I was not serving in this Department at that time. If the Deputy's questions relate to previous incumbents in this office, he may wish to raise his queries in another format or forum.
However, I am happy to outline the actions I’ve taken to reduce the student contribution fee since I was honoured to be appointed to this role in January 2025.
The Programme for Government contains several commitments which are intended to reduce the financial burden on students and families. One of these commitments is to reduce the Student Contribution Fee over the lifetime of the Government in a financially sustainable manner.
I have engaged extensively with student representatives, and key stakeholders in the tertiary education sector, to help me understand what changes to our student support framework mattered most to students and their families. Budget 2026 was my first budget since taking up office. As such, it represented my first opportunity to introduce measures that can reduce the financial burden on students and their families.
As part of Budget 2026, I introduced a permanent reduction of €500 in the Student Contribution charge. This flat rate reduction will reduce the rate from €3,000 to €2,500. This is the first permanent cut since free fees were introduced in 1995. It will benefit around 108,000 undergraduate students and circa 14,000 apprentices who will see up to a 17% pro-rata reduction.
At Budget time difficult decisions must be made on how best to utilise available resources. It was important for me to make permanent reductions that are sustainable and that offer certainty to students, as well as making other permanent targeted interventions, such as increasing SUSI rates for those travelling longer distances to college, increasing the Fund for Students with Disabilities and increasing funding for mental health supports.
The Programme for Government commits to reducing the student contribution in a financially sustainable manner over the lifetime of this Government. These changes are meaningful steps toward a fairer, more affordable system and were cognisant of the need to support middle income families.
Looking ahead I will continue to consider all options available to me to improve the overall student support framework and meet our Programme for Government commitments.
