Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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First, I was in Marino not that long ago and it is a very fine college doing a really impressive job providing us with the teachers and educators, including in early years, for now and into the future and I am very grateful for what they do. I had a very good conversation there with the president, a very impressive individual, about her and her management team's vision for the future of the Marino Institute of Education. I launched their strategic plan that day. There is a really important conversation about Marino and where it fits and I say that in a positive way, about where it wants to fit in our higher education landscape and the HEA Act 2022 also gives us opportunities to accelerate those discussions. We have discussed this in relation to a number of institutions. I do need to be honest and of course I will meet with Marino and the president and will engage with her on this and other issues. However for clarity, and it is always important to be clear on these things, the reduction of €1,000 is linked to the payment of a €3,000 registration fee. There are lots of different students in lots of different scenarios across the country. The way I think of it in my head and the way I explain it to the public is if you are levied the €3,000 fee you are automatically entitled to the €1,000 reduction. If you are not, you are not. That is not to be in any way dismissive but it is just to be truthful. That is where we started in terms of reducing the cost of education. We do intend to do more. We are engaging directly with Marino on this and we are assessing the situation. My understanding is that Marino sets its own rate for non-approved courses so there is an engagement going on with Marino but it is the free fees initiative, the €3,000 fee, that the €1,000 reduction applies to. Any other fee that is not from the free fees initiative does not currently quality for the reduction. We will continue to engage with them.