Under the criteria governing my Departments free fees initiative, EU nationals and those with official refugee status, who have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third-level course, qualify for free fees, subject to other specified conditions. The condition in relation to residency applies equally to all EU nationals, including Irish nationals, in accordance with the judgment of the European Court of Justice that access to vocational training must apply equally to all EU nationals.
The residency condition in the free fees initiative can be disregarded in the case of the following: children of Department of Foreign Affairs officials who are on assignment in countries outside of the EU; children of semi-State agency officials who are on assignment in countries outside of the EU; an eligible volunteer development worker or a family member of an eligible volunteer development worker; children of certain Irish officials working with the United Nations.
In order to qualify for grant assistance under my Department's schemes of student support, all candidates must fulfil specified conditions, including those relating to age, residence, means and nationality. To fulfil the residency requirement a candidate's parents, or in the case of an independent mature candidate, the candidate her-himself, must have been resident in the administrative area of the relevant local authority or VEC from 1 October of the year prior to entry to an approved course. The local authority or VEC has discretion to waive this requirement in exceptional circumstances.
Candidates who are EU nationals and who do not satisfy the residency requirements under the terms of the schemes are eligible to apply for a means tested fees-only grant in respect of approved courses in the Republic of Ireland, provided they have been ordinarily resident, for a purpose other than wholly or mainly to receive full-time education in an EU member state, from 1 October of the year prior to entry to college.