Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 December 2023
202. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to detail in tabular form the number of students from each county that have benefitted from the €1,000 reimbursement in the contribution fee for the 2023/2024 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54044/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraBudget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost of living. These cost of living measures include the provision of one off funding to reduce the student contribution fee payable by higher education students that are eligible for the free fees initiative (FFI), in academic year 2023/24, by €1,000.
Net of students that avail of a 100% student contribution support through SUSI, it is estimated that this additional level of support towards tuition fees in 2023/24 may benefit up to 94,000 students at a cost to the State of circa €91.9 million net.
The final number of beneficiaries will be dependent on the number of students eligible for the Free Fees Initiative and 100% student contribution support through SUSI during the academic year.
In terms of statistical breakdown by county, as the Deputy may be aware, free fees eligible students are a subset within overall full time undergraduate students. While the Higher Education Authority (HEA) collect data on the home county of full time undergraduate Irish students enrolling in higher education institutions, neither my Department nor the HEA, compile data on the home county of free fee eligible students within the undergraduate cohort. Details of the number of beneficiaries of the Budget 2024 measure under reference by county or region are therefore not available.
