Dr. Aileen Marron:

I thank Mr. O'Sullivan. In 2014, the HEA initiated additional funding for students with fewer opportunities. This started as a €120 top-up to their monthly Erasmus grant. In the most recent 2020 allocation, this increased to €180. Back in 2014, just under 7% of students with fewer opportunities had participated on the Erasmus programme. This has now increased to just under 17%. The European Commission, as part of the new programme, has increased its support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds up to a flat rate of €250. That emphasises the importance that the Commission now places on inclusion in the programme into the future.