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Third Level Fees.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2004

Thursday, 21 October 2004

Questions (195, 196)

Michael Ring

Question:

195 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the position under the free fees initiative in respect of a person born in America but who holds an Irish passport and is living in the USA; and if they will be liable for non-EU fees or EU fees. [25872/04]

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Written answers

The main conditions of my Department's free fees initiative are that students must be first-time undergraduates; and hold EU nationality or official refugee status and 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. A student who does not meet these requirements is liable to pay tuition fees.

I would emphasise the distinction between the criteria that determine eligibility under the free fees initiative and the criteria by which individual third level institutions establish what rates of tuition fees should be charged in cases where a student does not qualify for free fees. Universities are autonomous bodies and, as such, may determine the level of fees to be charged in cases where the free fees initiative does not apply. The classification of a student as an EU or a non EU applicant is a matter for each institution to determine in this regard.

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

196 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the negative impact that excessive higher level education fees have on students in third level institutions; if she will consider waiving them entirely; and if she will exempt students on lower incomes from the fees. [25880/04]

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My Department meets the tuition fees of eligible students under the free fees initiative. The main conditions of this scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates; and hold EU nationality or official refugee status and have been ordinarily resident in an EU member country for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.

The student charge is levied by third level institutions to defray the costs of examinations, registration and students services. All students who are eligible under my Department's means-tested maintenance grant schemes — approximately 36% of the student cohort — have the student charge paid on their behalf by the local authorities and vocational education committees, in addition to their other entitlements.

Due to the significant increases in grants and in qualifying income limits, no student whose reckonable income for grant purposes is less than €42,360, where there are fewer than four children, has to pay the charge. Higher income thresholds than this apply in cases where there are four or more dependent children in the family.

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