Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 June 2021
383. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost to the Exchequer of extending the SUSI grant to all level 6 further education and training courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32789/21]
View answerAccording to most recent statistics available from the Department of Education, there were 9,486 full time Level 6* Post Leaving Certificate students (2018/19), while the total full time students registered for craft apprenticeship was 16,142 for the 2019/20 academic year. The average maintenance grant payable to a further education student is €1,995.
The estimated cost of extending the SUSI support for PLC Level 6 and training courses is €51.13m.
*Level 6 is the second year of study, as these students would have completed a one year Level 5 PLC course. There were 41,432 FET enrolments at level 5 for the 2018/19 academic year.
The Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments approval was given to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. The review is being conducted by external consultants. It is anticipated that the SUSI review will be completed later this year and will inform policy priorities for the next Estimates process and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.
Source: www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics/education-indicators-for-ireland-2020.pdf.
