Third Level Fees

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Questions (392)

Denis Naughten

Question:

392. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will outline the provisions of the new fee rates to be charged to non-resident EU nationals; if revisions will apply to Irish resident non-EU nationals where their parents are naturalised Irish citizens; if revisions will apply to Irish resident non-EU nationals where their parents have long term residency here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14089/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Under the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing their first undergraduate full-time course of study. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Students must meet both the nationality and residency criterion in order to be considered under the scheme.

With effect from the current academic year a 'Change of Nationality' clause is included in the scheme which provides that, subject to meeting the criteria of the scheme, students who acquire EEA citizenship during their course of third level studies may be eligible for free fees for the remainder of their studies subject to certain conditions.

Where students do not qualify for free fees they must pay the appropriate fee as determined by their third level institution. The institutions are autonomous and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees schemes is a matter for the relevant institution. However following a recent Government decision, I have requested that the higher education institutions charge the more moderate EU fees to EU/EEA/Swiss students who did not meet the residency requirement of the free fees scheme where they have completed five academic years of study at either primary or post-primary level in the EU/EEA/Switzerland.