Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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60. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a progress update on SUSI reform. [12782/22]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I am sure the Minister has listened to the concerns of students during his visits to universities around the country. Students are asking me and, I imagine, many others in the House, what material difference students who apply for the SUSI grant next month will notice. How much has the threshold changed?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The questions are out of order, my apologies.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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No worries.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thought it was the Deputy's question about the university visits.

Regarding the SUSI grant systems and changes in the thresholds, I will sign regulations this week which will increase the income threshold by €1,000 for the grants from September. It will increase the amount of the grant by €200 and reduce the criteria to qualify for the higher, non-adjacent rate. It will reduce the distance a student needs to live from the university from 45 km to 30 km. These are three of the initial measures we intend to take to improve the SUSI grant system. I will sign those regulations most likely tomorrow, but certainly this week.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Students have been radically hammered by the cost of living crisis. For the last two years, many students have suffered significantly through the housing crisis so many have been forced to live at home and travel great distances to college daily. I know of many people throughout rural Ireland who do not have the public transport to access universities. Many of them have their parents drive them to college or to the location where they can get public transport, or they drive themselves. Now they are being snookered on the other side of that equation because prices of diesel and petrol are increasing. They feel that nobody is winning in this situation. They are borrowing money, facing debts and suffering anxiety and mental health issues as a result.

One of the promises in the recent budget was reduced transport costs for young people. That has not materialised and today we still do not have that in place. It is an incredible situation. It is astounding that it was promised in the budget and still not delivered in March 2022.

We need an update on SUSI reform. Can the Minister say with absolute clarity that students who apply for SUSI next month will be treated more fairly and with greater leniency than last year. When will the reforms the Minister has spoken about kick in? Will they kick in for people who apply next month or will they have to wait for the next years for those differences in grants?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy. I will ask my colleague, the Minister for Transport, to revert to the Deputy on the issue regarding public transport.

The changes I have spoken about will come in for students from this September. The grants will increase by €200 and the income threshold by €1,000. The qualifying criteria for the higher and non-adjacent rate will reduce from having to live 45 km away to 30 km away. Those changes will come in from September.

Deputy Conway-Walsh and I engaged earlier on when any more changes that come in by way of the budget will take effect. That will be a matter for the budget.

The Deputy has hit on an important issue about stress, anxiety, mental health, worry and cost of living. There is a student assistance fund in place separate to the SUSI grant scheme. There is over €18 million in that fund. It is available through every access office in our publicly funded higher education institutions and is there for students who find themselves in hard times and in need of additional financial assistance.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Is that a grant increase of €200 in total?

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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That €200 will be consumed very quickly in the increased costs in fuel etc. that students will experience. Can the Minister give clarity on the issue of transportation? I know it is not his Department but it is frustrating for students who were told they would get this and are waiting for it to happen. There is no clarity on when it will happen and it is happening at a snail's pace.

Today the Minister provided me with an answer to a written question about salaries in his Department. Since he took office just less than two years ago, just shy of €500,000 has been spent on special advisers. I have asked this of all Ministers because €500,000 is big money and would pay full college fees for a year for 167 students. There is a deep difference between the €200 that will be given to students in the SUSI grant increase and the largesse being expended on special advisers. How many special advisers work in the Department and what do they do?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The question is on SUSI but, anyway, I will leave it to the Minister.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is a broad stretch. Every Minister has two special advisers, who earn less than the Deputy every year. The Deputy benefits from a salary that is higher than theirs and we can work out how many student contributions that would pay for as well.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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There is €250,000 in the Department each year for special advisers.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have two special advisers. Every Minister has two Government advisers. That is a matter of fact and it is well known what special advisers do in Departments.

On public transport, I will ask the Minister for Transport to revert directly to the Deputy. Fuel costs are a real issue for all our constituents, regardless of our political affiliations. I hope the Government can do something to assist the public generally and students specifically. We will reflect on the cost of living impacts on students and all people in the country as we approach the budget.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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There was a reason for the Minister's confusion. I let Deputy Tóibín in because the Minister had missed Question No. 51 but, when the Deputy stood up, he took a question that is further on.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Apologies.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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It is okay. Nobody has lost out. Deputy Tóibín will have to wait for that question until his name comes up at Question No. 60.