Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 on 23 October 2007, if she envisages a closer working relationship between the British and Irish Departments of education, to allow students living in the north west to access universities in Northern Ireland, which are literally ten miles from their homes, without the unaffordable level of fees currently in place; if, in view of the speed the peace process is moving at, this will happen sooner rather than later; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28394/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I presume that the Deputy is referring to the issue of tuition fees for students studying in Northern Ireland. Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending approved undergraduate third-level courses in the State. There are no plans to extend this initiative to cover third level institutions in Northern Ireland.

Under my Department's Higher Education Grant Schemes, maintenance grants are available to eligible students pursuing approved undergraduate courses in other EU Member States, including Northern Ireland. In general, approved courses are those pursued in a third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds. However the payment of undergraduate tuition fees under these schemes does not extend to approved courses outside the State and there are no plans to change this position at present.

It is understood however that students attending Higher Education Institutions in Northern Ireland and who are ordinarily resident in a Member State of the European Union will be eligible for a fee loan from the Northern Ireland Authorities up to the amount charged by the Higher Education Institution. Further clarification can be sought by the individual from the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland. Their e-mail address is studentfinance@delni.gov.uk.

Section 473A Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 also provides for tax relief on tuition fees, at the standard rate of tax in respect of approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including certain approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU and non-EU member states.