Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Select Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary)
2:00 am
Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
On the allocation of €22 million to support BOTPs relating to Ukraine, the amount seems particularly large. Is that aligned with supports for Irish students? In light of what the original thinking was, namely that the beneficiaries would be returning home in the event of the war ending, the amount seems quite substantial. There would have been a question raised previously on the amounts spent on the BOTP system. Even the Government acknowledged that they were very high. The accommodation recognition payment, ARP, was creating many problems and the Government had to reduce it in respect of accommodation because the system was not very fair. We raised this issue previously. What is the logic behind the figure of €22 million?
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