Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Harmon for raising this important issue and for the opportunity it provides to discuss the Government’s ongoing work to make further and higher education more accessible and more affordable. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, is today at an informal meeting of EU researchers in Copenhagen so unfortunately he cannot be here to discuss this topic himself.

The Government is acutely conscious of the financial challenges facing students. We are committed to easing the financial burden on students and their families by reducing the cost of education in a way that is sustainable, equitable and targeted. This is a programme for Government commitment. The current student support framework, such as student grant supports and fee supports, has played a significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education. We have already taken a number of significant steps to improve the support framework, including the elimination of participation fees for post-leaving certificate, PLC, courses from September 2022 and major permanent changes to the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, student support scheme, such as the introduction of a new part-time SUSI grant scheme in 2024. Over the past three budgets, temporary cost-of-living measures were introduced to support our citizens, including a once-off €1,000 reduction in the €3,000 student contribution fee. These measures were welcome and necessary at the time but they were never intended to be permanent.

It is important to consider that currently, under the free fees initiative, the State covers tuition fees for all eligible full-time undergraduate students. In the 2023-24 academic year, over 143,000 students benefited from this support. This is a universal scheme and therefore a means test does not apply. Students are, however, required to pay the student contribution. This Government acknowledges that for many, this contribution presents a significant financial hurdle. That is where SUSI plays a vital role. In the 2024-25 year, over 65,000 students received support from SUSI to help cover this fee. These supports range from full coverage to partial grants of 50% or €500. The €500 grant introduced in 2023 is now a permanent feature of the scheme.

From this September, we will increase the income thresholds for student grants by 15%, expanding access to even more students, but we must and will go further. While student supports have played a very significant role in facilitating access to and growth in higher education, we have to bring forward plans that recognise the wider costs of attending education and promote access through sustainable investment in support measures. As we look to budget 2026, the focus of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, is on long-term, structural solutions that can provide certainty and fairness for students into the future. He is conscious of the financial pressures students face, not just tuition fees but accommodation, transport, materials and day-to-day living costs. The Minister has spent the past few months listening to the views of key stakeholders. He has had multiple engagements with students, apprentices, access officers, student services staff and advocacy groups and in April he hosted a national cost-of-education event, bringing together key voices from across the sector. These insights have been invaluable.

In preparation for budget 2026, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, will publish an options paper, which will outline the costs and potential impacts of various policy choices. This paper will inform the national debate and guide Government decisions. At this juncture, as the Senator will be well aware, no final decisions have been made and the Minister remains open to hearing from all stakeholders, students, families, institutions and advocacy groups.