Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
137. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will remove the fees for all post-graduate psychology courses and ensure that funding and supports are provided in order that more students are encouraged into this discipline given the chronic shortage of psychologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25331/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is strongly committed to supporting the mental health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our mental health services.
Higher Education Institutions are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to the management of their academic affairs and as such retain the right to determine their own procedures, criteria and processes including in relation fees for postgraduate programmes. My Department does not have a role in determining these fees.
The main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI. The Student Grant Scheme supports eligible postgraduate students with the cost of attending higher education. Budget 2021 provided for enhanced postgraduate supports from the 2021/22 academic year including the fee grant amount rising from €2,000 to €3,500 and the income threshold for eligibility for these grants increasing from €31,500, now €54,240. This is an initial step in meeting part of the Government’s commitments regarding SUSI grant support. This increase will allay some of the costs for postgraduate study and give greater certainty for students in terms of supports.
Apart from the student grant a number of supports are available to assist postgraduate research students in their studies. This includes a range of grants from research funders, institutional scholarships, as well as supports through Student Assistance Fund. Research students in receipt of grants must comply with the terms of their funding award from these bodies, which can vary from funder to funder.
