Mr. Ian McKenna:

We had adopted a series of steps as part of our Brexit planning in the context of the Student Support Act. Normally, the criteria were such that someone living in Ireland or elsewhere in the EU or the EEA would be eligible for the SUSI grant, but we made a series of amendments to the legislation to make sure that would apply to somebody living in Ireland, elsewhere in the EU or the UK. We had taken steps in advance, therefore, to make sure students could continue with the same level of supports even if they were a student from the North coming to Ireland. Because they are eligible for the SUSI grant, they would inevitably fall within the free fees regime as well. That all continues for students both in the North and in England, Scotland and Wales.

Similarly, the UK adopted a principle whereby, under the common travel area, Irish students would continue to maintain access to the same financial systems as previously, and that has continued. Uniquely, a French student coming to an institution in the UK, including Queen’s University, would pay an international fee, whereas an Irish student would pay what is called the home student fee. We had agreed steps with the UK as to how to manage that process.