Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
416 Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of third level students from the new EU accession states who are currently studying here and who have to pay non-EU fees due to the fact that their course commenced before accession; if he will grant these students free fee status as and from the accession date; the cost of doing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21777/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere were some 126 students from the ten new EU countries in the third level sector in Ireland in the 2002-03 academic year, the latest year for which final figures are available. The majority of these are in the university sector. I do not have full details of the courses on which these students were enrolled and the associated fee costs.
However, assuming a similar number of students are enrolled in the 2004-05 academic year, and taking average fee levels, the direct costs of allowing these students free tuition would be in the region of €350,000. However, the full financial cost to the individual third level institutions could be substantially greater as a result of foregone revenue, depending on the level of fees being paid. It has been estimated that the overall revenue foregone by these institutions could be in the region of €1.5 million per annum initially.
In this regard, the question of whether these students qualify for payment of EU or non-EU level tuition fees is a matter for individual institutions, in line with the Universities Act.
As the Deputy will be aware, all new entrants from the new EU member states in 2004-05 are eligible for consideration under the free fees initiative. Under the initiative, the designation of a student for fee purposes is determined on entry to their course of study and cannot change during the course of their studies. I have no plans at this time to amend this aspect of the free fees initiative criteria.
