Vol. 435 No. 10
54 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that third level institutions desist from charging large deposits to students applying for places under the CAO system, as a lot of parents cannot afford the deposits being charged.
The third-level institutions are autonomous in relation to their day to day affairs which would include their admissions policies and the determination of levels of deposits for course places.
I understand that in relation to applicants for higher education grants in the universities and all applicants in other third-level institutions these deposits are set at levels which the institutions consider are necessary in order to secure a firm commitment from applicants in relation to the acceptance of offers of course places. For applicants in the universities who are ineligible for higher education grants the deposit is in fact the first instalment of the tuition fee.
While the Deputy will appreciate that in the circumstances I am not in a position to issue directives to the institutions in this matter efforts were, however, made by my Department in 1992 to have significantly reduced initial deposits introduced by the universities for the latter category of applicants. The universities were not, however, prepared to depart from the existing system.
