Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 October 2014
189. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on amending the residency clause of the free fees initiative which would allow domiciliation here; the number of applicants this would affect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40667/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of my Department's Free Fee Schemes the Exchequer meets the cost of tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing full-time undergraduate courses of study which are a minimum of two years duration in an approved higher education institution. The main conditions of the scheme are that students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Where full-time undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees they must pay the appropriate fee as determined by their third level institution. In the case of students who do not meet the residency clause of the free fees scheme, higher education institutions have been requested to charge the more moderate EU fee to EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have completed at least five academic years of study (Primary or Post-Primary level) in the EU/EEA or Switzerland. I have no plans to amend the residency clause of the Free Fees Initiative at present.
