Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
1334. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will amend the criteria for assessing liability for fees at third level in order that they are based on residency rather than citizenship of a potential/current student in order to bring the State in to line with its European counterparts. [33710/14]
View answerThe position is that the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees, through my Department's free fees schemes, in respect of full-time undergraduate students who meet the terms of the schemes, including those relating to nationality and residency. The Department of Justice and Equality has established a working group to look at all the issues that affect asylum seekers and in that context my Department will be working with the group to explore solutions to the points raised by the Deputy.
Where students do not meet the terms of the free fees schemes it is the higher education institutions that determine, in accordance with their own criteria, the rate of tuition fees (EU or non-EU) to be paid by such students.
