Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1477. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the projected cost of removing the resident criteria from the free fees initiative for those in international protection in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36927/23]
View answerIn order to qualify for funding under the Department's Free Fees Initiative (FFI) students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the separate residency and nationality/citizenship requirements in their own right. Under the FFI, persons who have been provided with an International Protection permission that conveys rights to access education on the same basis as an Irish person are eligible to meet the nationality criteria of the FFI.
In order to meet the residency criteria a student must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. All students are required to meet the residency criteria of the scheme.
The Deputy will be aware that the protection process covers applications from third country nationals for asylum or subsidiary protection. Persons who make an unsuccessful application under the protection process can make an application to the Minister for Justice for leave to remain. Individuals who are successful under any of these three processes can meet the nationality criterion under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI).
The potential costs associated with introducing a change to the Free Fees Initiative to remove the residency criterion for those in international protection in Ireland are not readily available. Any assessment of the residency criterion would have to consider the wider implications of such a change for those outside of the protection process, such as persons in the leave to remain process and for EU/EEA/Swiss/UK nationals.
The Deputy may wish to note that persons in the protection or leave to remain process may be eligible for financial supports under the International Protection Student Scheme (IPSS). This scheme provides supports for eligible students pursuing post leaving certificate, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The IPSS provides supports which are similar to those which are available under the statutory Student Grant Scheme administer by SUSI.
