I propose to take Questions Nos. 695 and 696 together.
Under legislation, public sector Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous bodies and are funded in a variety of ways including state grants; competitive funding; tuition fees and commercial/private income streams
As the Deputy may be aware, through the HEA my Department allocates a range of funding supports to HEIs including recurrent grant funding (allocations provided towards operating costs each year) and funding for specific measures or activities, for example Capital Grants.
HEIs manage their own affairs including internal policies relating to activities on their campus. Neither I nor my Department have a role in forming these internal policies.