Joan Burton
Ceist:269. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the report underway in respect of the SUSI grant is due to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23671/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 29 May 2018
Ceisteanna (269)
Freagraí scríofa
The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding (Cassells Report) which was published in July 2016, clearly outlines the funding challenges in the higher education sector and offers a number of potential policy approaches for consideration.
As committed to in the Programme for Government, I referred the Cassell's Report to the Oireachtas Education Committee to review its recommendations and outline a proposed funding plan for the sector, as part of the process of building political consensus around the most appropriate means of ensuring a sustainable funding model for the future.
In January 2018, 18 months after publication of the Report, my Department received a request from the Oireachtas Committee for the Department to carry out a comprehensive economic evaluation of each of the recommendations put forward in the Report. I have agreed to this request. My Department and I are currently considering the most appropriate means of undertaking the economic examination of each of the proposed policy options presented in the Report to assist the Committee and to ensure that a sustainable funding model for Higher Education is developed to support the realisation of the economy’s growth potential.
Policy decisions in relation to the Student Grant Scheme will be considered in the wider context of the Cassells Report, however, the statutory based Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations continue to be reviewed annually by my Department, following consultation with various stakeholders.
The Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations for the 2018/19 academic year, were published on 28 March 2018. SUSI's online grant application system opened on 5 April 2018.