Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Deputy's frustration. This is an area where we have genuinely tried to do quite a bit of work as a Department over a significant period to improve the access opportunities for people through education who find themselves in Ireland through a variety of migration routes. We have made some good progress in that regard and I am proud of some of the increased supports we have put in place to help people access education and, crucially, get into the world of work and be able to make a living for themselves and their families.

We will now look at this in the context of the next scheme and see if we can make progress. My commitment in the House is that when we publish our costed options in the cost of education paper this summer, this will be included as an option and will be costed. That will help to inform the debate we may have in the House and the consideration the Government may give to the matter around the Estimates time.

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