Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question. In recognition of the challenges facing full-time third level students, the Government has approved once-off funding of €50 million to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year. The funding was provided in budget 2021 in recognition of the exceptional situation students have experienced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Financial assistance will be provided to all EU full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending publicly funded higher education institutions.

The scheme will ensure students who avail of the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, grant, including students abroad, will receive a €250 top-up of their grant. That payment is due this Friday to students whose bank details are known to SUSI. Students who do not avail of the grant but attend publicly funded higher education institutions in the State can reduce by €250 any outstanding student contribution fee payments or receive a €250 credit note for their institution. As I understand it, the nub of the Deputy's question concerns the students who do not fit into either of those categories. For example, for final-year students who have paid all their fees, a credit note for next year is of no use. In a small number of cases, alternative arrangements will be made for the payment of the moneys to students at the discretion of institutions. This means that for students who do not get a SUSI grant and for whom a credit note is not useful, it will be possible for the institutions to decide to provide a cash payment. The preference from an accounting point of view is very much the SUSI top-up, followed by a credit note or rebate off the student's outstanding fees. However, in other scenarios, where a credit note is not of use, there will be a discretion and flexibility given to the higher education institutions.

These measures are designed to ensure that students who are not in receipt of SUSI support will benefit from the measure. It is also the intention that they will address circumstances where students are in final year, have paid their contribution fee and may not be on campus. I expect institutions to start communicating directly with their students in the coming days as to how they can avail of this provision. It will be up to each institution to operate the scheme within its institution.

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