Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1480. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science what monitoring his Department or the HEA carry out to ensure a consistent policy approach to the allocation of funding to student unions by HEIs; his plans for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36930/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that higher education institutions receive funding from a variety of sources which contribute to the expenditure associated with the full range of institutional activities. Funding includes recurrent funding allocated by my Department to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to HEA funded higher education institutions. The HEA allocates this funding as a block grant to the institutions.
Institutions also receive tuition fees, which incorporate the previous student services charge following the introduction of the student contribution in 2011. As autonomous bodies the internal disbursement of funding, including the funding of student services, is a matter for the individual institution.
Student services and associated activities can fall under a range of areas and activities including student unions. Neither my Department nor the HEA has a direct function in relation to the determination of the allocation of funding to student unions.
