Joe Higgins
Ceist:540. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funds available to University College Dublin that are ring-fenced for the funding of student societies and clubs. [40450/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 21 October 2014
Ceisteanna (540)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA institutions. The HEA allocates this funding to institutions to cover free fees, core grant and other specific earmarked initiatives. It is then a matter for each institution to determine how such funding is allocated internally. Students who qualify under my Department's free fees schemes must pay a Student Contribution directly to their higher education institution, which for the current academic year stands at €2,750. Students who qualify under my Department's Student Grant Scheme have the Contribution paid on their behalf by the Exchequer. A Framework of Good Practice for the provision of student services is in place which provides that a report on expenditure on student services must be prepared by each institution annually. One of the categories for such reporting is sports and recreation, clubs and societies and the HEA has advised that such expenditure by University College Dublin amounted to €1.844m in the 2012/13 academic year.