Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I move amendment No. 199a:

In page 106, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following:

“PART 14

AMENDMENT OF HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY ACT 1981

Amendment of Housing Finance Agency Act 1981

119. The Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 is amended— (a) in section 1, by—

(i) the insertion of the following definition:

“ ‘Act of 2022’ means the Higher Education Authority Act 2022;”,

and

(ii) the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “institution of higher education”:

“ ‘institution of higher education’ means—

(a) a designated institution of higher education within the meaning of the Act of 2022 that is also a funded body within the meaning of that Act, and

(b) a higher education provider that is not a designated institution of higher education within the meaning of the Act of 2022 but is a funded body within the meaning of that Act whose primary income derives from funding provided to it by An tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas under section 37 of the Act of 2022;”,

and

(b) in section 5, by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (f):

“(f) an institution of higher education, to be used by it in respect of the provision or management of housing accommodation for students, including the acquisition of land by such an institution for that purpose and, other than in the case of an institution of higher education referred to in subparagraph (i) or (ii) of section 53(1)(a) of the Act of 2022, only with the prior consent in writing of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science,”.”.

I am considering on Report stage amending the Student Support Act 2011 to give legal powers to the student grants awarding authority, to allow for the reduction or cancellation of debts owed by students in limited cases and to give the awarding authority the powers to offset debt, by way of up to 10% offset without requiring the consent of the student, against present or future grants in other circumstances. I will also allow my Department or the student grants awarding authority to assist in the administration of any non-statutory schemes, programmes or funds to facilitate persons from educational disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition, I intend to allow the student grants awarding authority to administer or assist in the administration of any statutory schemes or administrative or non-statutory schemes, programmes or funds to facilitate persons provided with protection under section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015 accessing further education, higher education or research. I also intend to amend sections 12 and 28 of the Student Support Act 2011 to give SUSI the powers to process data for policy considerations. I just wanted to flag that I may propose introducing such measures on Report Stage.