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Third Level Fees

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2022

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Questions (597, 598)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

597. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he is considering steps to reduce the cost of final year for pharmacy students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9158/22]

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Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

598. 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 free fees initiative to the final year of pharmacy in the same form as it is currently applied to all undergraduate courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9159/22]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 597 and 598 together.

The Pharmacy Act 2007 conferred responsibility on the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the pharmacy regulator, with respect to pharmacy education and training. The PSI is an independent statutory body and is responsible for defining and ensuring the standards of education and training for pharmacists qualifying in Ireland. This includes developing standards, policies and carrying out accreditation of pharmacy degree programmes.

In August 2014, the Minister for Health approved changes to the education and training of pharmacists. This change in Pharmacy education has come about because the regulatory body, the PSI, now requires graduates to have completed a Masters degree before entering the PSI Register and practicing as a Pharmacist.

For those students that commenced their pharmacy course from September 2015, the structure of the pharmacist qualification changed from a four-year Bachelor degree programme followed by a one-year Internship Programme (which resulted in the award of a Level 9 degree) to a five-year fully integrated pharmacy degree programme.

Under the Department's Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible first time undergraduate students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme.

As referenced above, funding under the FFI is available for undergraduate awards only (up to and including level 8).  In practice, this means that only the undergraduate portion of an integrated masters programme would be eligible for free fees funding. A full tuition fee is payable by all students for any postgraduate/Level 9 award portion of the course of study.

Separately, SUSI grant support is available for those students who meet the qualifying criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. Different supports are available to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Qualifying students attending integrated/intercalated courses, will be initially assessed in respect of the undergraduate portion of the course. A separate application will be required in respect of the portion of the course deemed to be the postgraduate element.

Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs, including the management of academic affairs. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The total level of fees to be charged for the postgraduate element of an integrated masters course are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.

My Department currently has no plans to provide free fees funding for postgraduate years under the FFI therefore the cost of supporting such courses have not been estimated.

Notwithstanding the above, I am very conscious of the difficulties that students, like so many others in society, face as a result of the increased costs of living.  For students and their families this includes not just costs such as accommodation and food but also education-specific costs such as postgraduate tuition fees. 

I have already taken significant steps to support learners and their families.  Effective from the start of the next academic year the rate of grant will be increased by €200 for all SUSI recipients, I have widened the thresholds to allow more people to apply for student grants and I have changed the distance thresholds to reflect the increased costs for those who live further away from their colleges. 

I have also put significant additional resources into the Student Assistance Fund, including an additional €1.3 million announced last week, which brings the fund to €18.5m for the current academic year.

However, the SUSI scheme clearly does not cover everybody, and there are many families who must pay out significant amounts of money each year to continue in third level education. There are different options to address the costs of education and fundamentally these are decisions which must be made in the context of the annual Estimates process.  As I look towards the next budgetary cycle, I will be examining all the levers I have to address higher education costs for students in a way that has impact for students and families and that applies broadly across society. 

 

Question No. 598 answered with Question No. 597.
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