Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the coming weeks, the Government will introduce the €1,000 State financial support towards student fees. It is a once-off payment and is, unfortunately, not at present applicable to those studying in Northern Ireland, Britain or elsewhere outside our State. That is wrong. We have to encourage students to travel to study on a cross-Border basis, particularly in our own country. This needs to be revisited.

There is also the welcome introduction of the rental tax credit of €500 to parents of third level students paying their child's rent in a tenancy registered with the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. That should also be applicable to students whose parents are paying for registered accommodation outside the State.

Whatever obstacles exist to ensuring those two benefits are applied to all Irish students should be removed without delay. It is within the capacity of Government to ensure a level playing field and that students who, in many cases, did not obtain places in the State and are studying elsewhere are not disadvantaged.

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