Written Answers Nos. 1476-1490
1476. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when approval will issue to an education and training board (details supplied) for a proposed building project to move to the next stage; if he will ensure that this project will progress at an early date in view of the need to provide additional permanent accommodation for this college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41338/22]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that it was agreed that the Cavan Institute project, which was previously part of the Department of Education school building programme, would be advanced as part of the new FET capital funding programme under my Department.
As part of this process a Strategic Assessment Report in relation to the Cavan Institute proposal was submitted by Cavan Monaghan ETB to SOLAS. This report is currently undergoing evaluation by the SOLAS led assessment team, together with other proposals from the sector. The next stage will see proposals proceed to the development of a detailed business case.
To address short and medium term accommodation needs for FET services in Cavan Town, I have also granted approval for the purchase of a new modular unit for CMETB. This unit will be located at the FET campus at the former Dún Uí Neill Army barracks and will be operational by September. This development will enable the delivery of a range of PLC programmes, including but not limited to: music production, science, beauty, sports, animal care, sports therapy and general skills programmes. It will also provide canteen and sports facilities and office space. Works are well advanced on the delivery of this project for the new academic year.
1477. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way that his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit met their obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 in 2021, including the way that relevant policies and actions are monitored and the way that the obligation is reflected in their annual reports. [41371/22]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 (IHREC), requires public bodies, in the performance of their functions, to: eliminate discrimination; promote equality of opportunity; and protect the human rights of its members, staff and the persons to whom it provides services.
To meet the core requirements of this duty, public bodies are required to Assess, Address and Report on the human rights and equality issues it believes to be relevant to the functions and purpose of the body.
The requirements to Assess and Address have been dealt with under my Department’s Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. One of the key values of which is to “treat our colleagues and those to whom we provide services equitably, in keeping with our Public Sector Human Rights and Equality obligations”.
Inclusion is one of the core strategic goals of the Statement of Strategy. A key ambition for my department is to ensure that we provide more opportunities in tertiary education for all, reflecting the diversity of our population. This means recognising the needs of vulnerable learners, people who are most marginalised and people with special and additional needs. Under the inclusion goal, my department will provide leadership, advocate equality and respect for all, support inclusive learning, working and research environments, promote female leadership in academia and research, eliminate harassment and promote the principle of consent.
Diversity is a key strength of tertiary education. In recent decades our universities, institutes of technology, and colleges have been transformed, from predominantly national institutions catering primarily for school-leavers, to internationally oriented institutions engaged with an increasingly diverse student body, of all ages, backgrounds and gender identities.
The tertiary education legislation under which my department and its aegis bodies operate, complements the public sector duty espoused in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, in terms of promoting the attainment of equality of opportunity and the support for equality, diversity and inclusion in our tertiary education sector.
Equality, Diversity and inclusion in further and higher education takes account of the nine grounds of discrimination set out in legislation as well as socio-economic status and educational background. It recognises the intersectionality of issues that can affect individuals and reflects their unique experiences of discrimination. I want to ensure that tertiary education is readily available and accessible by all, regardless of their location, culture, language, disadvantage, or disability.
In 2021, my department has, inter alia:
- Progressed the implementation of the Future FET: Transforming learning 2020-2024 strategy which is focused on the three key pillars of Building Skills, Fostering Inclusion and Creating Pathways;
- Published the 10 year Adult Literacy for Life Strategy which seeks to further enhance awareness about existing supports, make these supports more accessible, and encourage people to avail of the many excellent upskilling options available for literacy, numeracy and digital literacy;
- Published the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 which has five overarching objectives, including "Apprenticeship for All" which seeks to ensure that the profile of the apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population; and
- Has actively engaged on a number of Whole of Government Strategies and Action Plans which support the broad goals of equality, diversity and inclusion. These include: The National Strategy on Domestic, Gender and Sexual Based Violence, The Migrant Integration Strategy, The National Disability Inclusion Strategy, The National Strategy for Women and Girls, The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy and more recently, the National Action Plan Against Racism.
In June, I announced new initiatives to support autistic students and those with an intellectual disability access third level education. These proposals form part of the new National Access Plan which I intend to publish shortly. I am committed to supporting access routes and inclusive education initiatives for learners with intellectual disabilities, and the new National Action Plan will be a key milestone in our journey towards a truly inclusive Further and Higher Education Sector.
The final obligation under the IHREC, to Report, will be included in my Department’s Annual Reports. It is anticipated that the annual report for 2021 will be published in the coming weeks and it will set out my Department’s achievements for 2021, including those relating to our obligations regarding equality and human rights.
The compliance with section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 by the bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter relating to the internal functioning of these agencies. Various aegis bodies have published their own strategy statements, diversity and equality policies, dignity at work policies and customer service charters which can be accessed by students, staff and the public via their websites.
1478. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of State boards under the remit of his Department or its agencies; the total number of members of each board; the numbers on each board broken down according to gender; and the number of persons with a declared disability on each board in tabular form.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41389/22]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy in regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1479. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of abolishing third level registration fees for all European Union students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41483/22]
View answer1481. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of abolishing tuition fees for postgraduate and repeat students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41486/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1479 and 1481 together.
I am committed to the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to education, within the overall context of Government policy towards costs of living and other relevant strategies including those related to access and participation in education.
With this in mind, it is important to highlight the very substantial financial support, currently well in excess of half a billion euro, provided by the taxpayer towards tuition fees and the student contribution for students in higher education. This comprises State funding of tuition costs amounting to €357m per annum for 146,000 eligible undergraduate higher education students through my Departments Free Fees schemes and €190m paid by the Exchequer under the Student Grant Scheme in respect of all or some of the €3,000 student contribution which benefits over 65,000 eligible students.
Full-time EU undergraduate students are included under the nationality criteria of the free fees schemes. The estimated costs of providing for abolishing the student contribution of €3,000 for all free fees eligible students, after an associated reduction in the student grant support budget, is €256million per annum.
The main support available to assist postgraduate students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved full-time course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
Currently Postgraduate students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant. The income threshold for this grant is €24,500, under the Student Grant Scheme are eligible to have their post graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. Postgraduate students who earn below the income threshold of €54,240 in 2021/22 qualify for postgraduate fee contribution of €3,500.
As I look towards the next budgetary cycle, I will be examining all the levers I have to address the cost of education in a way that has impact for students and families and that applies broadly and fairly across society.
As the Deputy is aware, 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 repeat fees; registration fees/student levy or, in the case of students not eligible for free fees funding, any tuition fees payable to the institution including international fees and postgraduate fees are solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria. As estimated cost of the state fully supporting all such fees in not readily available.
1480. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of abolishing fees and charges for apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41485/22]
View answerAn Annual Student Contribution (ASC) is levied on all students attending Institutes of Technology (IoTs) and Technological Universities. The amount of ASC charged to apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in the institution during the academic year. In cases where training is delivered in an Education and Training Board there is no contribution required from the apprentice. If the ASC was removed, with the apprentice paying examination fees only, then the cost to the State is estimated at an average €267 per apprentice per annum. Based on a current apprentice population of 23,639 registered apprentices, the estimated cost is €6.3m per annum.
1482. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of restoring the grant thresholds to their pre-Budget 2011 rates for both undergraduate and postgraduate grants. [41487/22]
View answerIt is not possible to estimate the full year cost of restoring the grant thresholds to their pre-Budget 2011 levels, given the parameters provided in your question, as students that apply for a grant apply under the current grant threshold rates.
In the intervening years we have centralised the student grant scheme (replacing four separate schemes and sixty six awarding authorities with one scheme administered by a centralised awarding authority), had a complete turnover of students, income levels have changed and a number of changes have been made to the annual schemes which affect eligibility criteria.
1483. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of ensuring that the maintenance grants for both undergraduate and postgraduate students are increased by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41488/22]
View answerThe main support to students attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding, provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution and meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment (progression) and means.
Under the scheme, students must be attending approved full-time courses. All full-time undergraduate and post-graduate students who meet the criteria under the Student Grant Scheme are in receipt of a grant.
The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.
The estimated cost of increasing the 2022/23 Maintenance Grant rates by 10% would be in the region of €15 million. This figure is estimated using the number of applicants who received a maintenance grant for the 2021/22 academic year.
1484. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of increasing the maintenance grants for both undergraduate and postgraduate to €1,500 per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41489/22]
View answerThe main support to students attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding, provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution and meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment (progression) and means.
Under the scheme, students must be attending approved full-time courses. All full-time undergraduate and post-graduate students who meet the criteria under the Student Grant Scheme are in receipt of a grant.
The student grant scheme also provides for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.
The estimated full-year cost of increasing the maintenance grant rates to €1,500 per month across all 2022/23 maintenance band rates would cost in the region of €600 million. This estimate is based on the number of students who received a maintenance grant for the 2021/22 academic year.
1485. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of restoring the grant adjacency rate to 24km; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41490/22]
View answerThe student grant scheme provides for different levels of maintenance grants at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.
The changes I announced in Budget 2022, to reduce the qualifying distance criteria for the non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant from 45km to 30km will come into effect this September and will significantly increase the maintenance grant rate for students, who were previously entitled to the adjacent rate of maintenance grant, due to the distance between their place of residence and their college falling between 30km and 45km.
The current qualifying distance of 30km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis.
In relation to the estimated cost involved in 2023 in further reducing the qualifying distance criteria to 24km, I am advised that SUSI, the awarding authority, who have details of current applicants' distances, estimate it would cost in the region of €6m based on applicants awarded in 2021/22 to date. However, this is a demand led scheme and estimates may vary based on awarded applicants on a yearly basis.
1486. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of providing 100 new spaces at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41491/22]
View answerMy Department allocates funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to designated HEIs. The HEA provides block grant funding to the Higher Education Sector, from within the allocation available, through the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM) which is driven by overall student numbers. The grant is allocated as a block grant and the internal allocation is a matter for each institution.
The costs incurred by a Higher Education Institution in increasing student places on a particular course can vary depending on a variety of factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances of the relevant Higher Education Institution. It is therefore not possible to definitively calculate the costs sought.
To provide the Deputy with an indication of the potential costs associated with increased places I can advice that the estimate costs of increasing full time undergraduate places, at a sectoral level, is c.€.1m to €1.2m (based on an average cost of €10,000 - €12,000 per undergraduate student).
1487. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the dividends paid by State-owned enterprises under the remit of his Department in each of the past five years; the projected dividends to be received in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41652/22]
View answerThere are no State-owned enterprises under the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
1489. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if SUSI can cancel applications submitted by applicants; if so, the number of SUSI applications that were cancelled by SUSI in each of the years 2017 to 2021 [41825/22]
View answerOfficials from my Department are currently liaising with SUSI on this and will forward on the information directly to the Deputy once available.
1490. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that students must have been living independently from their parents or legal guardians from October in the year prior to their first point of entry or re-entry into further or higher education to be classified as an independent; if he accepts that family relationships may break down over the course of a student's studies; and the avenues, if any, that are available for students in these cases who move from being dependent to independent over the course of their studies. [41826/22]
View answerFor student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, he/she would be assessed as a dependent student, i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.
A student’s status for grant purposes is defined at their first point of entry to an approved further or higher education course or at their point of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and continues to apply for the duration of their studies.
However, there are points at which a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student. These are where he/she:
- Progresses from further education to higher education.
- Is returning following a 3 year break in studies.
- Is returning as a "second chance" student after a five year break in studies.
The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.
Article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year. If a student or party to their application experiences a change in circumstances that is not a temporary change and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, they can apply to SUSI to have their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision of the relevant Student Grant Scheme. The income of all parties to the application will be assessed or reassessed on current income and applicants may also be asked to provide evidence of same.
Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). Students can apply for the SAF to help with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties and can be assisted towards their rent, childcare costs, transport costs, medical costs and books/class materials. This Fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis and assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax office or from the Revenue Commissioners website www.revenue.ie.
