The Government has a contingency framework in place which maps the key issues that will be most important to Ireland in the coming weeks and months. The Government has published a summary of the key actions that will be taken to address the contingencies arising from the UK's decision to leave the EU.
My Department participated fully in and contributed to the preparation of this framework for the education sector and have identified student flows as a priority area. Negotiations on the future EU UK relationship will now be required and officials from my Department will engage fully in these discussions with the EU and the UK to protect our special relationship with Northern Ireland and the UK.
My Department is conscious of the resulting pressures that may fall on the Irish higher education system following the UK's decision to leave the EU. My Department will be liaising with all relevant parties, including the relevant education departments in the UK in relation to these pressures including issues with regard to the movement of students between this State and the UK, fees and student grant arrangements.
I understand from the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland that in the academic year 2014/15 there were 2,345 full-time and part-time Republic of Ireland domiciled enrolments in higher education institutions in Northern Ireland. Data is not yet available on the number of students from the Republic of Ireland studying in Britain.